National Crisis Center reports uptick in protection files for threatened officials

Last year, Belgium's National Crisis Center (NCCN) opened 74 new protection files concerning 115 people under threat, a slight increase on the previous year. In total, 174 individuals are currently receiving some form of protection.

People who face threats in connection with their professional duties or public role, for example from the drug trade or organised crime, may qualify for protection through the NCCN. Because such measures have a significant impact on a person's life, they are considered a last resort.

Those concerned are often politicians, prosecutors or judges who are facing threats linked to their professional duties, often in connection to organised crime. A prominent example is Brussels public prosecutor Julien Moinil, who last year disclosed that he was under strict police protection following serious threats linked to the drug trade.

In 2024, the NCCN opened 67 of these cases, covering 101 individuals, a decrease compared to the year before. The figures are now rising again, with 74 cases opened last year. In total, 92 cases are currently open, involving 174 individuals. The NCCN does not disclose how many people were placed in a safe house or under strict police protection last year.

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Investment needed

"The slight increase in the number of people requiring protection, combined with the unstable international context, shows that the threat level is not only real but also evolving," Interior minister Bernard Quintin said on Sunday. He argues that Belgium's security architecture must be adapted to address "new and more complex threats".

Philippe Van Linthout, co chairman of the Association of Investigating Judges, links the growing threat to conditions in prisons. He called for measures such as installing jammers to prevent detainees from making phone calls from prison to continue criminal activities. "A welfare state is based on the rule of law, and that is where investment is needed," Van Linthout said.

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