Belgian Court Blocks Deportation of Alleged Extremist Preacher Linked to Terror Attacks

Aged 48, the individual would be a hate preacher, radicalized from the "Masseik Group", linked to the Casablanca and Madrid attacks, which killed 250 people in Spain in 2003, indicates the latest report of the State Security, arguing that he is a moral and financial support to the terrorist group Islamic State.

Born in Belgium and father of two children, he had refused last June to leave the country, following an expulsion procedure initiated against him by the Secretary of State for Asylum and Migration, Sammy Mahdi, claiming that he was suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder and feared being arrested in Morocco.

However, the Council for Alien Law Litigation decided to reject the expulsion request on the basis of other elements. According to this body, the reports of the OCAM and the State Security do not present a "solid basis" for expelling someone from the territory. The accusations are "too vague" and "too general".

The Council also considers that the State Security must make more concrete statements, stressing that the analyzes were carried out within the framework of a conviction for terrorism, whereas they should not be taken into account.