Dutch suspects of kidnapping attempt against Belgian minister to be extradited

Three Dutch suspects in the investigation into the threats against Belgian Justice minister Vincent Van Quickenborne will be handed over to our country, the international legal aid chamber (IRK) of the Amsterdam court has decided.

The three Dutch nationals aged 20, 29 and 48, arrested on September 24th in The Hague and Leidschendam, appeared before the IRK on Wednesday afternoon. The court ruled immediately and decided to grant the surrender. The three cannot appeal against the decision, and the surrender must be carried out within ten days. The surrender is likely to be carried out sooner than the deadline, after which the suspects will appear in Belgium before the investigating judge, who has to decide whether or not they will remain in jail pending their trial.

Regarding the fourth suspect, a 21-year-old man arrested in The Hague on September 25th, a separate IRK hearing was initially scheduled for Thursday afternoon. However, the fourth suspect is no longer resisting surrender to our country, says lawyer Thomas Gillis. Because he chose the abbreviated procedure, his case will not go before the IRK and his surrender will also be carried out.

The four, who were possibly planning to kidnap minister Van Quickenborne, had initially resisted a swift surrender, leaving the international legal aid chamber of the Amsterdam court to decide.

(BRV)

^{Belgian Justice minister Vincent Van Quickenborne © BELGA PHOTO NICOLAS MAETERLINCK}