Cyclist wins unfair fine case against Belgian police

On May 8th, the police judge ruled in favor of Ali, a 63-year-old resident of Woluwe-Saint-Pierre. The man was contesting a traffic violation issued by sworn officers. During the hearing, the sixty-year-old demonstrated, armed with photos and videos of the location’s configuration, that the officers were too far away to observe the exact color of his traffic light. They had based their conclusion solely on the pedestrian signal turning green to infer his fault. Justice determined that mere speculation was insufficient to pronounce a conviction, thus ordering a complete acquittal.

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The standoff dates back to October 26th, around 2:16 PM. Riding his old mountain bike along Avenue de la Couronne in Ixelles, this cyclist returning from a flea market was intercepted by three officers. One of them accused him of illegally crossing an intersection, dismissing his explanations out of hand. According to DHnet, a report written in Dutch triggered the sending of an immediate fine of 184.42 euros to be paid within two days. Faced with the prosecutor’s refusal to accept his appeal, the bill quickly climbed with reminders to reach 547.1 euros. "Pay if I’m wrong, okay. But pay when I’m right, that’s unfair," insists the acquitted defendant.

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On the ground, reality was quite different from the police version. That day, Ali had legally turned right toward Rue de la Brasserie, a maneuver authorized by a B22 sign. Faced with a 6% slope, this cautious man, already hit by motorists three times in the past, preferred to turn around. He then repositioned himself in the direction of Boulevard Général Jacques, patiently waiting for the pedestrian light and then the traffic light to turn green before moving off again. An impeccable maneuver that ultimately cost him months of legal proceedings.