An 18-year-old man is due to appear in court in November for planning to carry out an attack on the Pride event in Leuven in 2024, the Flemish news outlet Het Laatste Nieuws reported on Tuesday. A co-accused is also standing trial.
According to Het Laatste Nieuws, investigators traced the suspect when he attempted to purchase weapons via the messaging service Telegram for the attack. The Leuven resident unknowingly came into contact with an undercover agent in this way.
The investigation reportedly revealed that the suspect, along with an accomplice, aimed to cause as many casualties as possible. The young man had been radicalised for some time, according to the Flemish news outlet.
The suspect was held in pre-trial detention for several months. He was subsequently released under electronic monitoring, but he has since lost the ankle monitor. The now 20-year-old man must still adhere to several conditions.
During the months-long investigation, several young suspects were arrested. Multiple sources confirmed to Het Laatste Nieuws that a recent decision was made to bring only the 20-year-old suspect and his former classmate to court. They will be prosecuted for participation in the activities of a terrorist organisation and the preparation of a terrorist offence. They face up to twenty years in prison.
The news comes following a recent attack at a Pride parade in Berlin. One person was killed and 29 others injured in the attack last weekend. A 21-year-old man linked to Islamist circles drove a van into a group of people and reportedly attempted to injure victims with a machete afterwards. The man, Abdul B., was tracked down and shot dead by police on Sunday.
German police have currently identified 410 individuals considered capable of committing acts of Islamist-inspired violence. This is according to figures shared by the police with the German media outlet RND on Tuesday.
