Spain’s National Court said on Friday that it had accused a 74-year-old retiree of terrorism for allegedly sending six letters containing explosive material to the Prime Minister of Spain and to the US and Ukrainian embassies in the country.
The as yet unidentified man appeared before a judge in Madrid on Friday and was held without bail, the court said. The suspect, referred to only by the initials PGP, has been charged with six separate terrorism offences, he added, after being arrested in the northern city of Miranda de Ebro on Wednesday.
The man was charged with manufacturing and using explosive devices for terrorist purposes, according to court documents. Two of the alleged crimes were classified as aggravated for involving members of the government.
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Spanish media reported that the suspect had ties to Russia, was very active on social media and was allegedly a flight risk.
Police officers stand guard next to the Ukrainian embassy in Madrid, Spain, on November 30, 2022. Spain’s National Court said on January 27, 2023 that it had accused a retiree of terrorism after he allegedly sent letters that containing explosive material to multiple government officials, including the Ukrainian embassy in Spain.
(AP Photo/Paul White, File)
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The six bomb letters were sent in November and December of last year and required the removal of a bomb squad. An employee of the Ukrainian Embassy in Madrid was slightly injured when handling one of the letters, and another was destroyed after being sent by regular mail to the President of the Spanish Government, Pedro Sánchez.
Similar letters were sent to Spain’s Ministry of Defense, a European Union satellite center located at the Torrejón de Ardoz airbase on the outskirts of Madrid and a weapons factory in northeastern Spain that manufactures grenades shipped to Ukraine. .
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An envelope intercepted at the US Embassy security checkpoint in December was detonated by authorities after a large area was cordoned off in the center of the Spanish capital.
