Dikke Nordin: Antwerp Cocaine Trial Paralyzed by Recusal Requests

Proceedings have come to a halt at the Antwerp court. As the trial was due to resume, the defense of Nordin El Hajjioui, alias “Dikke Nordin,” filed fifteen recusal requests against the judges on Tuesday morning. His lawyers believe that the judges of the narcotics chamber do not offer the guarantees of impartiality necessary to try their client.

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This move has led to an immediate freeze in the proceedings. The judges concerned have 48 hours to decide whether to voluntarily withdraw from the case. If they refuse, a specialized chamber of the court of appeal will have two weeks to rule, delaying the outcome of the trial accordingly.

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Extradited from Dubai in 2024, the 38-year-old defendant has made challenging judges a systematic strategy. With these new filings, the total number of recusal requests submitted by his defense has now reached 26, confirming his unofficial status as the “recusal champion” within the Antwerp courthouse.

The stakes are high for Nordin El Hajjioui, who is appearing as the main suspect in six major cases, notably those linked to the decryption of the encrypted Sky ECC messaging system. The public prosecutor’s office, which attributes a central role to him in massive international trafficking, called for a 35-year prison sentence in early November.