The Belgian state is summoned on behalf of one injured jihadist, three wives of Islamist fighters and ten children, who demand €7,500 per person per day that Belgium does not try to get them out of Syria.
The lawyers, Abderrahim Lahlali en Mohamed Ozdemir, requested that their clients be transported as quickly as possible to a safe place, either in Belgium or in a neighbouring country of Syria, like Turkey, Jordan or Lebanon.
Should the Belgian State not act within 15 days, the lawyers demand a penalty of €105,000 (€7,500 per person) for every day Belgium does not try to have them transferred to Belgium or to another safe country, with a maximum amount of €1.5 million per plaintiff, reports De Morgen.
The lawyers initiated the procedure on Monday and the matter should be dealt with by Thursday or Friday in Brussels. Their clients are three widows of Islamist fighters (Nadia Baghouri, Jessie Van Eetvelde and Sabah Hammani), the terrorist Adel Mezroui and ten children, aged between 6 months and 7 years.
"We do not want to talk about their past," said Lahlali, reports De Morgen. "What matters is that the Belgian State is totally negligent towards our clients. They have been trapped like rats, especially since Turkey's invasion of northern Syria. Moreover, the living conditions in Al-Hol are miserable, untenable and explosive," he added.
The women and children are currently living in the Al-Hol refugee camp, in northeast Syria. Adel Mezroui, who is injured, is in the Kurdish Al-Hasakah jail.
The summons includes the children's medical reports, which indicate malnutrition and chronic diarrhoea. The right arm of one of the children was amputated.
The lawyers claim that the government is ignoring the advice given by Federal Prosecutor Frédéric Van Leeuw and by the Director of Coordination Body and Threat Analysis (OCAM), Paul Van Tigchelt. "Last week, they again pleaded before the Parliament that these persons be brought back and tried," the lawyers said, reports De Tijd.
"We are not doing this for the money, but to give the State an extra incentive. Belgium is legally obliged to bring them back," they added, reports Het Laatste Nieuws.
The Brussels Times
This story has been corrected to add additional information on the injured jihadist.
