The Public Prosecutor’s Office has requested a two-year prison sentence, in the Brussels Criminal Court, for a young man aged 19, accused of having taken part in the November 11th riots in the centre of Brussels. He must answer to the charges of forceful resistance to a police officer implementing the law (known as “rébellion” in Belgian law), theft, criminal damage to movable property and carrying prohibited weapons.
The Public Prosecutor’s Office considered that the accused was guilty of looting a “night shop" during the riots on Boulevard Anspach in Brussels, on November 11th last year. The prosecuting authority stated that the accused is very simply clearly identifiable on video-surveillance camera images. The accused denies having any involvement in the course of these events stating, “I was in the area at the time but it isn’t me on these images.”
On November 11th, 2017, scuffles broke out in the centre of Brussels, where numerous people gathered after the qualification of Morocco’s national team for the forthcoming football World Cup. The incident involved some 300 people causing 23 injuries, including of 22 policemen.
During the following days, the police identified several suspects. The police also urged any individual who had filmed the violent scenes to send them their images. This was with the aim of identifying other suspects. Moreover, the Brussels rapper Benlabel was suspected of having incited the riot on Facebook. He is thus suspected as the perpetrator or the co-perpetrator of making written threats, and using electronic means of communication so as to inflict damage in this way.
The Brussels Times
