The Federal Public Prosecutor's Office has requested the arrest of Smaïl and Ibrahim Farisi, before the upcoming trial of the 2016 Brussels terrorist attacks. While the former has already been detained, the latter remains free and responded to the arrest warrant in an interview given to Le Soir.
With the trial's opening hearing nearing, authorities have chosen to arrest the Farisi brothers, who are suspected of sheltering Khalid El Bakraoui, the suicide bomber who carried out the Maelbeek metro station attack.
Because they are the only suspects not in police custody, the prosecution felt it was 'logical' to arrest the first brother Smaïl because "all the others suspected of 'terrorist killings' are in jail."
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While his brother is already imprisoned, Ibrahim Farisi is still free at the time of writing and spoke with Le Soir, where he claimed that he had been free for six years and wondered why he was only now being sent to prison.
"I will accept jail, but not this (Wednesday) evening," he added, "I do not want to spend the night in a dungeon!"
If he is to be arrested, it would be up to the Brussels Court of Assize to rule on a possible request for release.
