A then-18-year-old man intended to carry out an attack on the Pride event in Leuven (Louvain) in 2024. This was reported by Het Laatste Nieuws on Tuesday. The suspect is due to appear in court in November. A co-accused is also standing trial.
According to Het Laatste Nieuws, investigators traced the suspect when he attempted to purchase weapons via the messaging service Telegram for the attack. The Leuven resident unknowingly came into contact with an undercover agent in this way. The investigation revealed that the suspect, along with an accomplice, aimed to cause as many casualties as possible, the newspaper reports.
The young man had been radicalised for some time. The newspaper writes how the suspect, A.E., flaunted his plans to the undercover agent. The now 20-year-old chose Leuven Pride because Brussels Pride was too far off in the future.
Het Laatste Nieuws also records A.E. forced his girlfriend to wear a headscarf, and preferably even a niqab.
The newspaper points the teenager was born in Belgium, in a well integrated family who moved from Iraq. His mother works for Justice and his father founded a non-profit organisation promoting contacts between cultures.
Pre-trial
The suspect was held in pre-trial detention for several months. He was subsequently released under electronic monitoring, but he has since lost the ankle monitor. The now 20-year-old man must still adhere to a number of conditions.
During the months-long investigation, several young suspects were arrested. Multiple sources confirmed to Het Laatste Nieuws that a recent decision was made to bring only the 20-year-old suspect and his former classmate to court. They will be prosecuted for participation in the activities of a terrorist organisation and the preparation of a terrorist offence. They face up to twenty years in prison.
Berlin
One person was killed and 29 others injured in a deadly attack at the Berlin Pride parade last weekend. A 21-year-old man linked to Islamist circles drove a van into a group of people and reportedly attempted to injure victims with a machete afterwards. The man, Abdul Ballout, was tracked down and shot dead by police on Sunday.
German police have currently identified 410 individuals considered capable of committing acts of Islamist-inspired violence. This is according to figures shared by the police with the German media outlet RND on Tuesday.
2 thoughts on “BELGIUM | Then-18-year-old man attempted attack on Pride in Leuven in 2024”