Belgian Justice Minister resigns after Brussels attacks: I made a mistake on extradition!

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Tunisia requested the extradition last year of the attacker who killed two Swedes last week and wounded a third this week. Belgian Justice Minister Vincent Van Quickenborne resigned, saying he had made a "colossal mistake".

Stating that Tunisia requested extradition on August 15, 2022, the minister said, "This request was submitted, as it should have been, by the justice expert at the Brussels prosecutor's office on September 1. The competent magistrate did not follow up on this extradition request and no action was taken on the file."

"This is an individual mistake. A colossal mistake. An unacceptable mistake. A mistake with dramatic consequences," Van Quickenborne said, adding that he had submitted his resignation to Prime Minister Alexander De Croo.

Van Quickenborne said he and his team were looking into the details to understand how the 45-year-old attacker, who identified himself on social media as Abdelsalem al Giulani, disappeared two years ago after his asylum claim was rejected and Belgian authorities decided to deport him to Tunisia.

Prime Minister De Croo said he noted Van Quickenborne's resignation and "respected his courage" and called a meeting of senior ministers and top security officials at the weekend to shed more light on the case.