2024-07-24 00:00:40
Pompeyo Gonzalez Pascual, who objected to Western support for Russia’s 2022 bid. Ukraine, which was attacked in February, was found guilty of terrorism and the manufacture of explosives, the highest criminal court of Spain decided.
The letters containing the improvised devices targeted Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez, Defense Minister Margarita Robles, the US and Ukrainian embassies, a Spanish arms company that makes grenades donated to Ukraine, and a major Spanish military base.
While opening one of the packages, an employee of the Ukrainian embassy suffered minor injuries. Other packages were intercepted by security personnel.
The court said that Mr. Gonzalez Pascual, 76, sought to “cause a great shock in Spanish society, which would put pressure on the Spanish and United States governments and other entities located on Spanish territory to stop supporting Ukraine.”
An expert who examined Mr Gonzalez Pascual’s computer told the court he found evidence of “searches on how to make explosive devices” and visits to “media propaganda channels related to the Russia-Ukraine conflict”.
At his home, investigators found a workshop containing soldering equipment, tools, metal parts and screws consistent with the letter bombs, as well as signs that preparatory work was underway to build more devices.
Mr. Gonzalez Pascual was arrested in 2023. in January and jailed, but a judge released him on probation earlier this year because he did not have the ability to destroy evidence or reoffend and had no prior convictions. At the time, the judge said there was “no indication whatsoever” that he had been working with “any organized terror group”.
After the attack, Ukraine’s ambassador to Spain, Serhiy Pohorelsev, pointed a finger at Russia, Kyiv has beefed up security at all its embassies.
2024-07-24 00:00:40