Suspect Nourredine H, who was arrested on Friday as part of the investigation into a foiled attack in Belgium, has been remanded in custody by the investigating judge. His brother, Hamza H, was released without charge, the federal Prosecutor’s office said on Saturday.
Nourredine H, who was born on the 25th of January 1983, has been charged with ‘attempt to commit voluntary homicide as part of terrorist attack”, and “participating in the activities of a terrorist group”, the federal Prosecutor’s office has said. Eight houses were searched on Friday evening. This was on the orders of a Liège investigating judge, who is a specialist in terrorism. Seven houses in Mons were searched, and one in Liège.
The mayor of Frameries, Didier Draux, said there were house searches in his commune. Sudpresse newspapers reported the two brothers are from the commune. Their mother’s and grandmother’s houses were searched. One of the brothers left Frameries for Liège last year.
According to the RTBF, Nourredine H was a logistics operative, who helped young jihadists leave for and return from Syria. RTBF revealed Nourredine H recently travelled a lot in Europe, and has a lot of contacts in France. He also appeared to be looking for ‘equipment’, including weapons, which meant the case was handled faster. The federal Prosecutor’s office said this investigation had no link to the one into the attacks on the Brussels Zaventem National Airport and Maelbeek metro station on the 22nd of March 2016.
(Source: Belga)
