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Spanish Court Sentences Man to 18 Years for Sending Explosive Parcels to Government Officials
A Spanish court has sentenced a man to 18 years in prison for sending explosive parcels to government officials. This case highlights the rising concerns over political violence and threats to public safety in the region.
Spanish Court Sentences Man for Sending Explosive Parcels
A Spanish court delivered a significant ruling on Tuesday, sentencing a 76-year-old man, Pompeyo González Pascual, to a total of 18 years in prison. He was found guilty of dispatching six dangerous parcels containing explosives aimed at prominent targets within Spain, including the nation’s Prime Minister and various government, military, and diplomatic entities, notably the embassies of the United States and Ukraine.
The court’s judgment included a 10-year sentence for committing acts of terrorism, along with an additional 8 years for the unlawful manufacture and use of explosives for terrorist purposes. The National Court judges emphasized that González Pascual’s actions were driven by an intention to exert pressure on both the Spanish and American governments, demanding they withdraw their support for Ukraine amid its ongoing conflict with Russia.
Residing in Miranda de Ebro, a town located in north-central Spain, González Pascual was apprehended in January 2023 after he sent threatening letters to Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez and the embassies of the US and Ukraine in Madrid during 2022. One of the explosive letters resulted in minor injuries to an employee at the Ukrainian Embassy.
Throughout November and December of 2022, a total of six letter bombs were sent, necessitating the intervention of bomb disposal experts. One of these devices was particularly alarming, as it was mailed directly to Sánchez and had to be neutralized. Additionally, letters with similar explosive threats were addressed to Spain’s Defense Ministry, a European Union satellite center located at the Torrejón de Ardoz air base near Madrid, and an arms manufacturing facility in northeastern Spain that produces grenades intended for Ukraine.
In a critical incident, an envelope intercepted at the US Embassy’s security screening was destroyed by a bomb squad, prompting the evacuation of a wide area in the bustling center of Spain’s capital, highlighting the seriousness of the threat posed by González Pascual’s actions.