Spanish pensioner who sent explosives to Ukrainian Embassy sentenced to 18 years in prison – Reuters

On Tuesday 23 July, Spain's Supreme Court sentenced 73-year-old pensioner Pompeyo Gonzalez Pascual to 18 years in prison for sending explosive parcels to embassies and institutions in 2022. Source: Reuters, as reported by European Pravda Details: Gonzalez Pascual has been sentenced to ten years in jail on terrorist charges, followed by eight years for constructing explosive devices for this purpose, the court ruled.

Pascual must also pay 1,500 euros in compensation to Mykola Velychko, an employee of the Ukrainian Embassy in Madrid, who was injured as a result of the detonation of the explosives made by the Spaniard.

Read more: Explosion in embassy that should change Spain's policy on weapon supply to Ukraine

The verdict notes that Gonzalez Pascual acted "with the aim to create a great commotion in Spanish society for it to exercise pressure on the governments of Spain and the United States, other institutions in Spain to stop supporting Ukraine in the war against Russia".

During the inquiry, officers discovered DNA traces on explosive devices that matched Gonzalez's DNA. According to Amazon's records, the man purchased explosive precursors in June and July 2022. The court has yet to deliver a separate ruling on the pensioner's detention, which he can appeal.

Gonzalez Pascual was arrested in January 2023 for delivering six parcels of homemade bombs to Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez, Defence Minister Margarita Robles, Ukrainian and US embassies, an air force facility, and an armaments industry.

In April 2023, the judge released the pensioner on bond, noting his age and lack of criminal history.

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