Magistrates in Antwerp have remanded two suspects that were arrested last week in connection with a plot to carry out attacks on politicians, including the Belgian Prime Minister Bart De Wever (Flemish nationalist), for a further month. The suspects are a 23-year-old man of Chechen descent and an 18-year-old man with Moroccan roots.
The two men were arrested last week during searches of several properties in Antwerp. A third suspect was also detained but was released without charge due to lack of evidence. The suspects are believed to have been planning an attack against politicians, including the Belgian Prime Minister Bart De Wever and the Dutch far-right politician Geert Wilders.
They have been charged with participating in the activities of a terrorist group, preparing to carry out a terrorist crime and attempted murder with terrorism as its motive. They are alleged to have planned to attach a home-made explosive to a drone.
The oldest of the two suspects, 23-year-old Abdulla B. was studying cybersecurity at the AP Hogeschool in Antwerp. The younger suspect (aged 18) was studying defence and security at the Sint-Norbertusinstituut, a secondary school in Antwerp.
Last Friday Abdulla B’s lawyer said that his client was cooperating with the investigation and had already given a statement.