A 45-year-old Russian man suspected of murder in Zeebrugge will be extradited from Poland to Belgium this week, according to the West Flanders Prosecutor’s Office.
The incident occurred on Friday, 22 August, around 22:00 in Mercatorstraat, Zeebrugge. A 56-year-old man, identified as Herwin A., was severely beaten and kicked by two other men.
Despite efforts by a witness to resuscitate the victim and the swift arrival of emergency services, he succumbed to his injuries. Witnesses reported that an argument may have taken place earlier in a local convenience store.
An international alert led authorities to stop the suspects’ vehicle on Tuesday, 26 August, at 21:30 on the A2 motorway near Skierniewice, about 80 kilometres from Warsaw, Poland. The two suspects, Russians aged 33 and 45, were identified as employees of a transport company.
A court in Łódź ruled that both men could be extradited to Belgium. While the 45-year-old suspect is set to be transferred this week, the 33-year-old is contesting his extradition.
Following his extradition, the older suspect will be questioned by the Federal Judicial Police in West Flanders and brought before a Bruges investigating judge on suspicion of murder. Polish authorities stated the 45-year-old has already confessed to the crime.
