The Sofia Military District Prosecutor’s Office has opened pre-trial proceedings following a report alleging that a crime was committed in Bulgaria’s exclusive economic zone in the Black Sea. The case concerns the vessel CHELSEA 3, which sails under the Maltese flag.
The report was transferred for handling by the Sofia City Prosecutor’s Office. It was submitted by the Bulgarian Lawyers for Human Rights Foundation and the Bulgarian Helsinki Committee. The report alleges violations of the rules of international law governing the conduct of war in Bulgaria’s exclusive economic zone.
By a постановление dated October 16, 2026, pre-trial proceedings were initiated under Article 412, points “a” and “e” of the Criminal Code. The investigation is intended to establish whether, in October 2026 and in violation of the international rules of warfare, an order was given in Bulgaria’s maritime zone to kill civilians—the crew of CHELSEA 3—and to destroy property on a large scale, namely the vessel itself.
To clarify all the circumstances and gather the necessary evidence, the supervising prosecutor assigned the investigation to a military investigator at the Sofia Military District Prosecutor’s Office. Because certain investigative and procedural actions must be carried out in the area served by the Sliven Military District Prosecutor’s Office, a separate order assigned specific actions to another military investigator there.
The Interior Ministry’s chief secretary was also instructed to organize the implementation of directions concerning actions within the authority of Interior Ministry bodies. These include searching for witnesses, determining the location of CHELSEA 3, and taking other steps to clarify the case and identify any potentially involved persons.
The investigation is expected to gather evidence about the vessel’s ownership, the composition of its crew, its route and purpose of travel, and the cargo and/or passengers it carried.
Source: btvnovinite.bg
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752 | 16 Oct. 2026 | 19:08
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