We abolished the death penalty hand over Rhosus’s owner  

Lebanon has abolished the death penalty, removing a key obstacle to the extradition of Igor Grechushkin, the Russian-Cypriot linked to the Rhosus, the ship that brought ammonium nitrate to Beirut before the August 4, 2020, port explosion.

Grechushkin was arrested in Bulgaria in September 2025 following an Interpol Red Notice requested by Lebanon. Bulgarian courts later refused his extradition, citing concerns over the death penalty despite Lebanese assurances.

With that obstacle now removed, Lebanon can renew its extradition request and seek to bring Grechushkin to Beirut to face charges related to the ammonium nitrate shipment and the deadly explosion.

The abolition of the death penalty could therefore have a direct impact on one of the most important outstanding cases in the August 4 investigation.