Alex Trelinski
A BURGOS pensioner has been jailed for 18 years after posting letter bombs to key figures including Prime Minister, Pedro Sanchez, because he opposed Spain backing Ukraine following the 2022 invasion by Russia.
The National Court in Madrid gave him 10 years behind bars to retired civil servant, Pompeyo Gonzalez, 76, for a crime of terrorism.
He also got eight years for the crime of manufacture, possession, placement and use of explosive, flammable or incendiary devices for terrorist purposes.
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Gonzalez made the six bombs in the second half of 2022 at his home in Miranda de Ebro and then posted them.
The National Court considered that he acted with ‘the purpose of causing a great commotion in Spanish society that would exert pressure on the governments of Spain and the United States of America and other entities based in Spain to stop supporting Ukraine in its war with Russia’.
Besides Pedro Sanchez, the bombs were sent to the Minister of Defence, Margarita Robles; the heads of the EU Satellite Centre in Torrejon de Ardoz; the weapons company Instalaza in Zaragoza; and the ambassadors of the United States and Ukraine in Spain.
The devices were deactivated, except for one sent to the Ukraine embassy which slightly injured a member of the security staff in the arm when he opened it.
The amount of explosive was sufficient, the court said, to produce injuries of different amounts depending on the proximity and the possible organs affected, both by the explosion and by the impacts of the incorporated shrapnel, plus the fragments resulting from the breakage of the metal container and the nuts and bolts used for the construction of the bomb.
Gonzalez said his was innocent, but the court ruled there was multiple evidence of his guilt.
That included materials bought on online platforms as well as the same envelopes and labels used to send the devices.
Bombing making equipment was found in his house and his DNA was confirmed on the stamps and envelopes.
