Vincent Van Quickenborne, Belgian Minister of Justice, took everyone by surprise by announcing his resignation after the tragic attack in Brussels. This terrorist act perpetrated by a radicalized Tunisian cost the lives of two Swedish supporters and left a third injured.
But it was not just the attack itself that pushed the minister to resign. Indeed, he revealed during a press conference that Tunisia had requested the extradition of the attacker in August 2022, a request which had been ignored by the Brussels prosecutor’s office. Vincent Van Quickenborne called this negligence “an individual, monumental, unacceptable fault” and took responsibility by resigning from his position.
This new information shook the minister, who had nevertheless done everything to improve the judicial system. He said he was not looking for excuses, but considered it his duty to resign in the face of this fatal error.
The attacker himself was a radicalized individual, whose request for asylum had been rejected. He was under an order to leave Belgium, which had never been executed. He opened fire on Swedish supporters with an automatic rifle before fleeing on a scooter. He was eventually located in a café in Schaerbeek and was shot dead by police.
Abdesalem Lassoued was known to Belgian authorities for previous crimes, but he was not listed as a terrorist threat. However, he was reported as radicalized in 2016 by a foreign police service. Unfortunately, this information was not taken into account.
The investigation continues to determine whether the attacker was in contact with other radicalized people in Europe. A man was arrested in France in connection with this affair, and the authorities are looking into whether he had any links with Abdesalem Lassoued.
This tragic attack and the serious negligence surrounding it raise questions about the effectiveness of security and prevention measures in Belgium. It is crucial that measures are taken to avoid such errors in the future and ensure the safety of citizens.
The resignation of the Belgian Minister of Justice is a strong signal of his desire to take responsibility and recognize the mistakes made. Hopefully this marks the start of positive change in the fight against terrorism and the protection of citizens.