Extradition Lawyer in Plovdiv: Plovdiv Regional Court and the Local Procedure

For an ordinary extradition request involving someone found in the Plovdiv district, the first-instance court is Okrazhen sad – Plovdiv (Plovdiv Regional Court), with local steps handled by Okrazhna prokuratura – Plovdiv (Plovdiv District Prosecutor's Office). The hearing must be scheduled within seven days after the court receives the file; detention and final-decision appeals have separate deadlines.

First establish whether this is ordinary extradition from a non-EU state or a European Arrest Warrant (EAW) from another EU Member State. The procedures differ. For ordinary extradition, the local prosecutor and court depend on where the person is found; the EAW follows separate surrender provisions.

Which Plovdiv court handles an extradition request?

For ordinary extradition, after the formal request arrives, the Supreme Cassation Public Prosecutor's Office sends the file to the prosecutor for the region where the person was found. That prosecutor arranges counsel and an interpreter where required, gives the person and counsel file access, and submits it to the regional court. In Plovdiv, this is Okrazhen sad – Plovdiv. An EAW follows a separate route.

Institution	Local role and verified detail
Plovdiv Regional Court	Considers ordinary extradition files and detention applications. Address: 167 Sixth September Boulevard.
Okrazhna prokuratura – Plovdiv (Plovdiv District Prosecutor's Office)	For ordinary extradition, coordinates counsel, interpretation and filing. Public information centre: 3 Saedinenie Square, floor 7; 08:30–17:00.
Plovdiv Court of Appeal	Hears statutory appeals. Its criminal registry is room 114; general registry, room 116.
Regional Court interpreter roster	The 2026 roster includes English, Russian, Turkish, German and Ukrainian. Confirm current availability.
Plovdiv Airport	Located at Krumovo, Rodopi Municipality, Plovdiv District; airport staff do not decide extradition.

Ask counsel to confirm the case number, legal route, receiving court and any detention application. A police record, an INTERPOL Red Notice and a formal extradition request are different things.

What happens after an arrest in Plovdiv?

This is a practical first-72-hours plan, not a statutory deadline. Ordinary extradition has two distinct 72-hour periods: one may follow an urgent pre-request detention application; the other starts when the formal extradition request is received. The seven-day hearing period starts when the court receives the file.

Stage	What happens and what to do
At arrest or an urgent alert	Record the place and time, identify the holding authority, request counsel and an interpreter, and keep the papers. Confirm the procedure.
Urgent provisional detention before the full request	Under Article 13(5)–(7), once location and identity are established, the Supreme Cassation Public Prosecutor's Office detains the person for up to 72 hours and refers the urgent request to the regional prosecutor. The prosecutor arranges counsel and any needed interpreter and applies to the Regional Court, which may order provisional detention for up to 40 days (or a different treaty-set period) or another procedural measure that secures the person's participation.
When the formal extradition request arrives	Article 14(2) requires the Supreme Cassation Public Prosecutor's Office to detain the person for up to 72 hours from receipt of the formal request and send the file to the local prosecutor. The local prosecutor arranges counsel and any needed interpreter, gives file access, takes written explanations, explains consent and files the custody request.
Custody hearing after the formal request	Under Article 15, the Regional Court considers custody immediately, with counsel and an interpreter present. Appeal the order to the Plovdiv Court of Appeal within three days; obtain it in writing and confirm the deadline with counsel.
After the court receives the file	Article 16(1) requires the hearing to be scheduled within seven days after receipt. Prepare identity and nationality documents, the request or alert, earlier court papers and urgent medical information.
At the extradition hearing	Article 17 provides for an open hearing before three judges and a prosecutor. The court appoints counsel and an interpreter if needed. Ask for interpretation and advice before consenting.

Which deadline applies to detention and appeal?

These periods have different triggers. A three-day detention appeal is separate from the final-decision appeal.

Step	Deadline	Practical point
Provisional detention before the full request (Article 13)	Up to 40 days, unless an applicable treaty sets another period. The court may instead order another procedural measure that secures participation.	This urgent measure applies before the full request, not to the whole case. If the request and documents do not arrive by the court-set deadline, it must be cancelled, but a later request may lead to a new arrest.
Appeal against a detention order under Article 13 or 15	Within three days of pronouncement, to the relevant Court of Appeal.	For Plovdiv Regional Court, appeal to the Plovdiv Court of Appeal. This is not the final-decision appeal.
Scheduling the ordinary extradition hearing	Within seven days after the court receives the file.	This is a scheduling deadline, not a final-decision or release date.
Appeal against the final ordinary-extradition decision	Seven days from announcement; the appeal is heard within ten days after it reaches the Court of Appeal.	Appeal to the Plovdiv Court of Appeal within seven days. Its decision is final; counsel should calculate the deadline from the ruling.
Consent to immediate extradition	If consent is voluntary and no refusal ground under Article 7 applies, the court decides within 24 hours. The decision is final.	Consent is not simply declining to speak at a hearing. This procedure is unavailable if another Bulgarian criminal case is pending or the person must serve a sentence for a different offence. Obtain legal advice first.

If extradition is allowed, detention continues pending surrender. Court permission and physical handover are separate stages; see the national guide for the wider procedure.

Is this ordinary extradition or a European Arrest Warrant?

Confirm which instrument the authorities are using: an ordinary extradition request or a European Arrest Warrant (EAW). A request from a non-EU state may be governed by ordinary extradition law or a separate agreement. An alert or INTERPOL Red Notice alone does not identify every applicable procedural step.

An EAW is a separate EU judicial surrender process with its own rules. The ordinary-extradition detention periods and appeal deadlines below do not automatically apply to it. The nationwide legal framework is covered in the Bulgaria extradition guide; refusal grounds and remedies belong in the guide to challenging extradition from Bulgaria.

Where can a family member or foreign lawyer go?

The Regional and Appellate Courts share the Court House at 167 Sixth September Boulevard. Registries are in Block A, entered from Yoakim Gruev Street. The Regional Court criminal first-instance registry is room 111; the Court of Appeal's criminal registry is room 114 and general registry room 116. Regional Court registry hours are listed as 09:00–17:00. The interpreter roster can change; confirm availability before travelling.

Bring identification and, depending on your role, a summons or valid lawyer card; security checks apply. A relative is not automatically entitled to a hearing or confidential papers, so ask counsel whether written authorisation or proof of relationship is needed. The prosecutor's public information centre lists hours of 08:30–17:00, but this does not guarantee an unscheduled meeting with the case prosecutor.

What if the arrest happened at Plovdiv Airport?

Plovdiv Airport is at Krumovo, Rodopi Municipality, Plovdiv District. The Ministry of Justice referred to an “Arrest – Plovdiv” facility in a July 2026 staffing notice, but that notice does not establish where any particular extradition detainee is held. Give counsel the flight details, time of first police contact, destination after arrest and any paper identifying the arresting authority. Ask which court district appears in the file. Do not assume the person is at Plovdiv Prison; confirm the actual facility and how to deliver medication or documents with the holding authority. Record any transfer and its time.

What should the family prepare before the first hearing?

Full name, date of birth, nationality, passport details and spelling variations.
Arrest paperwork, the EAW or extradition request if provided, and any case number.
Exact arrest time and place, the arresting authority and current detention location.
Contact details for instructed counsel and the language needed for interpretation.
Documents relevant to mistaken identity, nationality, residence, a prior decision on the same conduct or another Bulgarian case.
Urgent medical and medication details, plus consular contacts if relevant.

Hypothetical example: a Turkish national is stopped at Plovdiv Airport after an alert from a non-EU state. The family should not assume the alert is the full extradition request. Identify the holding authority, arrange counsel and an interpreter, confirm the procedure, and record each order's date and time so the correct appeal period can be calculated.

What does this local guide not decide?

This page explains Plovdiv's local procedure and first steps, not whether evidence is sufficient or a refusal or human-rights objection will succeed. Those issues depend on the file, requesting state and current law; ask counsel to assess them under the separate remedies guide.

Questions families ask in Plovdiv

Does the seven-day period mean the person will be released or transferred within a week?

No. It is the deadline for scheduling the ordinary extradition hearing after the court receives the file, not a universal deadline for a final decision or surrender.

Is the three-day appeal deadline the same for every decision?

No. It applies to the specified detention orders. The final ordinary-extradition decision has a separate appeal period, calculated from its own trigger.

Can a relative obtain the case file from the prosecutor?

Access is provided to the requested person and defence counsel. A relative should ask counsel what can be shared and whether written authorisation is needed.

Does an INTERPOL Red Notice itself mean the person will be extradited?

No. It may prompt action under Bulgarian law, but it is not itself a court decision allowing extradition. The authorities must identify the applicable procedure and required documents.

If someone is detained or has received extradition papers, seek advice promptly from a Bulgarian lawyer who can inspect the actual file and calculate the applicable deadline. For an initial enquiry, use therequest page.