Mystery as Palestinian fugitive dies at embassy in Bulgaria

SOFIA: A Palestinian who escaped from Israeli custody after being convicted of a 1986 murder has died at the Palestinian embassy in Sofia, Bulgarian prosecutors said.

Police sealed off the mission building in the capital as an investigation began into the death of Omar el-Nayef, who was jailed along with two other men for killing an Israeli settler.

Prosecutors said in an initial statement they had been alerted by a representative of the Palestinian mission in Bul- garia “about a man who died as a result of violence” but a spokeswoman for the prosecutors later said no signs of violence were found on his body.

She said Nayef was found in the mission’s back yard and prosecutors were investigating whether he was pushed or fell from a high floor, as well all other possible causes.

The mission, which is not guarded by Bulgarian security forces or its own guards and does not have camera surveillance, confirmed he was Nayef, but declined further comment.

Palestinian sources said he had been shot and a Palestinian prisoners’ association and the militant Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine blamed Israel for his death, while President Mahmoud Abbas condemned what he called a “crime”.

An Israeli foreign ministry spokesman said it learnt of his death in the media and was studying the information.

Nayef was sentenced to life for the murder but escaped in 1990 while being moved to hospital after he began a hunger strike.

He first went to the Palestin- ian Territories before fleeing to an Arab country and then to Bulgaria, where he had lived since 1994.

Bulgarian authorities had sought to detain him following an extradition request by Israel in late December, prompting him to seek refuge at the Palestinian mission and leading to a country- wide search after Nayef could not be found at his Sofia address.

Official Palestinian news agency WAFA said Abbas had ordered an investigation into the circumstances of Nayef ’s death.

Abbas’s spokesman, Nabil Abu Rdainah, said the presidency would pursue the issue with Bulgarian authorities.

Bulgarian chief prosecutor Sotir Tsatsarov said Nayef had been alive when medics arrived at the embassy early yesterday but died shortly after.

Bulgarian prime minister Boiko Borisov said Nayef ’s extradition had been brought up by both the Palestinian and Israeli authorities. – Reuters

Omar el-Nayef.