Brussels (Brussels Morning Newspaper) – The authorities have identified a neo-Nazi man from Opwijk who allegedly plotted a terrorist attack on Belgium. The offender, who was twenty-something, planned to burn down a mosque while also developing a strategy to maximise fatalities during a second attack involving assault weapons.
A trial for a Belgian neo-Nazi younger than 20 years old will take place on Friday regarding his dual terrorist planning activities in Belgium. The accused person, who is in his twenties, faces trial for planning to burn a mosque and then launch a gunfire massacre with an assault rifle.
The man’s terrorist activities on Telegram became the focus of a Federal Prosecutor’s investigation because he encouraged extreme right-wing views while praising mass murderers Anders Breivik and Brenton Tarrant.
Furthermore, the accused individual inspired multiple people to perform terrorist actions that resulted in his detainment, followed by violent crime and attack planning allegations.
The suspect wrote a manifesto to create a white ethnostate based on reports from investigative sources. His plan included setting fire to a mosque, followed by using an assault rifle for mass killings. The federal prosecutor’s office disclosed how the suspect sought acquisition of weapons as part of his planned second attack.
Intelligence services became aware of the man’s extremist message sharing through his activity on Telegram as he spread radical thoughts and praised famous mass killers. The suspect revered Anders Breivik, who perpetrated the fatal attacks that killed 77 Norwegians in 2011, and Brenton Tarrant, who murdered more than 50 Muslim worshippers at two Christchurch mosques in 2019.
What is the history of far-right extremism in Belgium?
Far-right extremism and terrorism incidents have occurred in Belgium and neighbouring regions of Europe throughout recent years. A single right-wing extremist conveyed deadly violence into New Zealand mosques in 2019 during his attack that led to over 50 Muslim deaths while inspiring worldwide followers of his reactionary ideas. Far-right terrorist Anders Breivik executed 77 people during the 2011 attack that hit a Norwegian government building and a youth camp located on Utøya island.
Far-right activities in Germany have increased over time, leading to the Hanau shootings of 2020, when a gunman murdered nine people because of racial hatred. European nations continue to face an enduring challenge from far-right extremism because the messaging platform Telegram operates as a prolific hub that drives extremist radicalisation and plot development.
Belgian law enforcement agencies have enhanced their efforts to track and counter these networks following the 2016 Brussels bombings to show the necessity of performing effective counter-terrorism actions.
