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[brussels] Court decides on charges against 11 anarchists and anti-authoritarians
Wanneer: 02/08/2017 - 19:03
The Chambre du conseil of Brussels decided which accusations will go to criminal court, in the case against 11 anarchists and anti-authoritarians
On 1/08/2017, the Council Chamber of Brussels delivered its decision about which charges will be prosecuted in criminal court against 11 anarchists. Before a judgment was issued, a press release from the justice department was already circulating. The articles which followed in the mainstream media only contained mistakes, mixing this investigation with the later one centred around the struggle against the maxi-prison*, referring to facts that occurred outside the period concerned by this investigation and were ultimately totally mistaken about the charges which finally stuck in the Council Chamber.
First of all, the Chamber abolished in all instances the accusation of terrorism. Both as an aggravating factor, where the Federal Prosecutor's Office had attached it to a specific offense, and as the charge of participation in a terrorist group. The Chamber then abolished a number of charges which it considered to not be supported by enough evidence to justify their referral to the criminal court, including the charges of the attack on the police station in the Marolles, the burning of several cars of prison guards in the parking lot of Ittre prison, the manufacturing of false pay slips, shoplifting in supermarkets, incitation to commit terrorist offenses (re-qualified firstly as "incitation to crimes and misdemeanors", but then thrown out because of its prescription).
On the other hand, the Council Chamber reclassified "participation to a terrorist group" into “association formed for the purpose of attacking persons or property through the perpetration of crimes or offenses" (9 people accused) . This transformed the charge of "leader of a terrorist group" into "provocateurs or band leaders of an association formed for the purpose of attacking persons or property through the perpetuation of crimes or offenses" (3 people accused) . Other charges are:
- "Attempted arson to a inhabited building" during the wild demonstration in front of the closed center for illegal people Steenokkerzeel 21/01/2009. (8 people accused)
- "Attacking and resisting with violence or threats" against cops during the demonstration in Steenokkerzeel on 21/01/2009). (8 people accused)
- "Degradation" of a limousine on 16/11/2011, aggravated by the fact that the offense is inspired “by hatred, contempt, hostility because of the fortune of the victims". (3 people accused)
- "Hits and injuries" to the driver of the limousine (3 people accused)
- "Attacking or resisting" the cops during a wild demonstration in Anderlecht on 12/11/2010. (2 people accused)
- "Hits and injuries" to an cop on 1/10/2010 (1 person)
- "Having manufactured prohibited weapons", 1/10/2010 for road spikes (2 people), 12/11/2010 for iron bars (2 people).
- "Threat of attack" against a person living next to the prison of Forest, awakened by fireworks at the beginning of October 2010 and complaining about the noise (3 people).
- "Graffiti" with the aggravation of being "inspired by hatred" (8 people).
- "Obstruction to river traffic" during a wild demonstration in Anderlecht (2 people).
- "Injuries" against European officials (3 people).
- "Pretending to have the title of lawyer" (2 people).
The Prosecution has 15 days to appeal the decision of the council Chamber In total, there are 12 comrades who are prosecuted.
The Belgian justice therefore seems to want to reconnect with an old tradition in the repression of anarchists by pursuing them for "criminal association". We'll get back to that.
We take this opportunity to salute the anarchists and revolutionaries in the prisons of states all over the world, as well as those who are fighting for the destruction of authority.
La Lime
Brussels, 2/08/2017