Retired Civil Servant Gets 18 Years for 2022 Parcel Bombings in Spain

Spain's High Court sentenced Pompeyo Gonzalez Pascual, a 74-year-old retired civil servant, to 18 years in prison for terrorism-related offences. He was found guilty of sending parcel bombs in 2022 to government and diplomatic offices. The court also ordered him to pay damages to an injured embassy official.

Spain's High Court handed an 18-year prison sentence to 74-year-old retired civil servant Pompeyo Gonzalez Pascual on Tuesday, convicting him of terrorism-related offences for sending multiple parcel bombs in 2022. The targets included high-profile government and diplomatic offices.

Gonzalez Pascual was apprehended in January 2023 after dispatching six parcels containing homemade explosives. Among the recipients were Spain's Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez, Defence Minister Margarita Robles, and the embassies of Ukraine and the United States in Madrid. Although most were defused, a security employee at the Ukrainian embassy sustained minor injuries from one explosion.

Despite his age and lack of a criminal record, Gonzalez Pascual now faces a decade in jail for terrorism and an additional eight years for manufacturing explosive devices. Additionally, he is ordered to pay 1,500 euros ($1,627.65) to the injured Ukrainian embassy official. The court affirmed that his actions aimed to foment significant unrest in Spanish society, pressuring Spain and the United States to cease their support of Ukraine in its conflict with Russia.

Gonzalez Pascual, who resided in Miranda del Ebro, can still appeal the decision. The Spanish government continues steadfast support for Ukraine, having sent tanks and other military aid to Kyiv. During the investigation, police matched Gonzalez's DNA on the devices and found that he had purchased explosive materials online in mid-2022.