A suspected spy at NATO's military headquarters might not have been acting alone, as new information suggests she had help from outside after a break-in at her student accommodation.
Claire Z., a Canadian woman who is suspected of spying while working at NATO's Supreme Headquarters Allied Powers Europe (SHAPE) near Mons, has been in custody since 24 July on suspicion of espionage for a third country and involvement in a criminal organisation.
On Monday 31 August, Belgium's Federal Prosecutor ordered that she remain in pre-trial detention for another month.
But new details reported by Le Soir, Belgian weekly Knack, French outlet La Lettre, and investigative platform Follow The Money suggest that detectives are also looking at whether others might have been involved.
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Unknown individuals reportedly broke into Claire Z.'s student accommodation in Mons after federal police searched the property on 23 July.
More strikingly, passwords giving access to several of her social media accounts were reportedly changed after she had already been detained.
According to Le Soir, these elements have led detectives to suspect that Claire Z., if found guilty of espionage, might have had one or more accomplices.
The Federal Prosecutor's office declined to comment on the reports.
Lingering near offices
Claire Z. began a six-month internship at SHAPE in July 2025 after undergoing background checks in Canada. Her placement was renewed for another six months at the beginning of this year.
Her behaviour reportedly attracted the attention of Allied Command Counterintelligence (ACCI), SHAPE's counterintelligence and military security service.
In April, she was allegedly spotted lingering near the offices of the Supreme Allied Commander Europe after an alarm prompted an evacuation of the military headquarters, according to Le Soir.
The incident fueled suspicions about her and was followed by contacts between NATO counterintelligence and Belgium's military intelligence service, the SGRS.
Belgium subsequently opened a judicial investigation.
Belgian prosecutors have not publicly identified the country she is suspected of spying for. Media reports have linked the investigation to China, but the Chinese Embassy in Brussels has previously stressed that no official institution has publicly established such a connection.
Claire Z. denies the allegations. The investigation is ongoing.
