Brussels attacks: Council chamber sends 10 defendants back to court

The Brussels Council Chamber has decided that 10 of the 13 suspects of the Brussels attacks of 22 March 2016 will be referred to the Court of Assizes, the court dealing with the most serious crimes.

The federal prosecutor’s office had requested that eight of the 13 accused be sent to the Court of Assizes, accused of the murder in a terrorist context of 32 people, the attempted murder of 340 others, and for belonging to a terrorist group.

The council chamber has now decided not to separate the case and not to dissociate the various defendants who will go before a judge. There will therefore be only one trial concerning the 2016 attacks on Brussels Airport and the Maelbeek metro station.

The Federal Prosecutor's Office had also requested that three other suspects, previously cleared of charges, have their cases fully dismissed. On this point, the council chamber agreed and therefore dismissed the last three defendants.