BRUSSELS: Belgian prosecutors have charged a man with terrorist offences, in connection with Tuesday’s attacks in Brussels that left 28 people dead.
He was named as Faycal C and was arrested on Thursday. At least half the victims died at the airport, the rest in an attack on the metro in suicide bombings claimed by so-called Islamic State (IS).
Zaventem – Brussels international airport – will not reopen before Tuesday, authorities have announced.
Meanwhile a demonstration against the attacks, planned for Sunday in central Brussels, has been cancelled after a request from the authorities.
Belgian prosecutors said that Faycal C had been detained outside the prosecutor’s office in Brussels on Thursday. A search of his home had found no weapons.
Faycal C was charged with “participation in the activities of a terrorist group, terrorist murders and attempted terrorist murders,” a statement said.
It gave no further details and made no comment on Belgian media reports that he was the third man in an airport CCTV image that showed the two suicide bombers – Najim Laachraoui on the left, and Brahim el-Bakraoui. Belgian media say the third man is Faycal Cheffou, a freelance journalist.
The third man, wearing a hat and pale jacket, also had luggage packed with explosives. However he was said to have fled without detonating his device. It was detonated in a controlled explosion once the departures hall was cleared. Brahim el-Bakraoui’s brother Khalid carried out the Maelbeek metro attack.
