2016 Brussels bombings

Islamic State suicide bombings in Belgium the 2016 terrorist attack the 1979 terrorist attack 1979 Brussels bombing the event in the Nine Years' War Bombardment of Brussels November 2019 2016 Brussels bombings Islamic terrorism in Europe and the spillover of the Syrian Civil War 2016-Brussels-Bombings-OpenStreetMap.png 300 Map of the bombings in relation to each other (1) 07:58: Departure hall of Brussels Airport (2) 09:11: Maelbeek/Maalbeek metro station Brussels Airport in Zaventem and Maelbeek/Maalbeek metro station in Brussels, Belgium Civilians and transport hubs Airport: 50 54 05 N 4 29 04 E type:airport_region:BE Brussels Airport Metro station: 50 50 38 N 4 22 36 E type:landmark_region:BE Maalbeek metro station 2016 03 22 yes 07:58 am 09:11 am UTC+1 Suicide bombings mass murder Islamic terrorism 35 (32 victims,Revised to 35 in 2023, with one survivor dying by suicide, one survivor dying by euthanasia, and one survivor dying from cancer after his treatment was paused due to treatment for injuries from the attack. Further revised in 2026, with a relative of a victim dying by suicide. 3 perpetrators)Brussels explosions: What we know about airport and metro attacks https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-35869985 BBC News 9 April 2016 21 June 2018 2 June 2018 https://web.archive.org/web/20180602225244/http://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-35869985 live 340 Islamic extremism Islamic State (Brussels cell) Airport: Ibrahim El Bakraoui (died) Najim Laachraoui (died) Mohamed Abrini Metro station: Khalid El Bakraoui (died) Osama Krayem Nail bombs filled with TATP explosives On 22 March 2016, two coordinated terrorist attacks in and close to Brussels, Belgium, were carried out by the Islamic State (IS). Two suicide bombers detonated bombs at Brussels Airport in Zaventem just outside Brussels, and a third detonated a bomb on a train leaving Maelbeek/Maalbeek metro station in the city's European Quarter. Thirty-two people were killed and more than 300 were injured. The three perpetrators also died in the explosions. A third airport attacker fled the scene without detonating his bomb, which was later found in a search of the airport. A second metro attacker also fled, taking his bomb with him. The Islamic State claimed responsibility for the attacks. The perpetrators belonged to a terrorist cell that had been involved in the November 2015 Paris attacks and the attacks happened shortly after a series of police raids targeting the group. The Belgian Government declared three days of national mourning after the bombings, which were the deadliest attacks on Belgium since World War II. In December 2022, ten men accused of involvement in the attacks went on trial in Brussels. Six were convicted of terrorist-related murder and attempted murder, while two were convicted of terrorist activities. Background Belgium was a participant in the military intervention against the Islamic State during the War in Iraq. In September 2014, the Belgian Chamber of Representatives voted to send six F-16s for one month to support the US-led coalition.http://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/news/world-news/iraq-danes-send-attack-planes-30619237.html Iraq: Danes send attack planes Nigel Morris 27 September 2014 Belfasttelegraph.co.uk 22 March 2016 4 April 2016 https://web.archive.org/web/20160404185045/http://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/news/world-news/iraq-danes-send-attack-planes-30619237.html live Belgium had more nationals fighting for jihadist forces as a proportion of its population than any other Western European country, with an estimated 440 Belgians having left for Syria and Iraq as of January 2015.https://edition.cnn.com/2016/03/21/europe/belgium-terror-fight-molenbeek/ Belgium: Europe's front line in the war on terror Nina Elbagir Bharati Nailk Laila Ben Allal 22 March 2016 CNN 22 March 2016 3 April 2016 https://web.archive.org/web/20160403213845/http://www.edition.cnn.com/2016/03/21/europe/belgium-terror-fight-molenbeek/ liveNeumann Peter Foreign fighter total in Syria/Iraq now exceeds 20,000; surpasses Afghanistan conflict in the 1980s http://icsr.info/2015/01/foreign-fighter-total-syriairaq-now-exceeds-20000-surpasses-afghanistan-conflict-1980s/ ICSR 23 March 2016 26 January 2015 29 March 2016 https://web.archive.org/web/20160329074323/http://icsr.info/2015/01/foreign-fighter-total-syriairaq-now-exceeds-20000-surpasses-afghanistan-conflict-1980s/ live Estimates suggested that Belgium had supplied the highest per capita number of fighters to Syria of any European nation, with 350 to 550 fighters, out of a total population of 11 million that includes fewer than 500,000 Muslims.https://www.theguardian.com/world/2015/nov/16/how-belgium-became-breeding-ground-international-terrorists How Belgium became a breeding ground for international terrorists Burke Jason 16 November 2015 The Guardian 26 July 2017 en-GB 0261-3077 1 August 2017 https://web.archive.org/web/20170801034106/https://www.theguardian.com/world/2015/nov/16/how-belgium-became-breeding-ground-international-terrorists live Some reports have claimed Belgium's weak security apparatus and competing intelligence agencies made it a hub of jihadist-recruiting and terrorist activity,https://www.wsj.com/articles/how-belgium-became-a-jihadist-recruiting-hub-1411958283 How Belgium Became a Jihadist-Recruiting Hub The Wall Street Journal 22 March 2016 29 September 2014 20 June 2019 https://web.archive.org/web/20190620234832/https://www.wsj.com/articles/how-belgium-became-a-jihadist-recruiting-hub-1411958283 live while others assert that Belgium faces the same problems as many European countries in this regard.Lasoen Kenneth Plan B(ruxelles): Belgian Intelligence and the Terror Attacks of 2015–16 Terrorism and Political Violence 1–19 2018 32 6 10.1080/09546553.2018.1464445 149729772 According to Kenneth Lasoen, security expert at Ghent University, the attacks happened more as a result of policy failure rather than intelligence failure.Lasoen Kenneth Indications and warning in Belgium. Brussels is not Delphi Journal of Strategic Studies 2017 40 7 927–962 10.1080/01402390.2017.1288111 157685300 Terrorist cells in Brussels Before the bombings, several Islamist terrorist attacks had originated from Belgium, and a number of counter-terrorist operations had been carried out there.Lasoen Kenneth Plan B(ruxelles): Belgian Intelligence and the Terror Attacks of 2015–16 Terrorism and Political Violence 1–19 2018 32 6 10.1080/09546553.2018.1464445 149729772 Between 2014 and 2015, the number of wiretapping and surveillance operations directed at suspected terrorists by Belgian intelligence almost doubled.Belgian Intelligence SIGINT Operations International Journal of Intelligence and CounterIntelligence 32 1–29 Kenneth Lasoen International Journal of Intelligence and CounterIntelligence 32 (2019), p. 8 10.1080/08850607.2018.1488501 2019 1 158963928 In May 2014, a French gunman who had spent over a year in Syria, attacked the Jewish Museum of Belgium in Brussels, killing four people.https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-27654505 Brussels Jewish Museum killings: Man held in Marseille 1 June 2014 BBC News 1 June 2014 4 January 2018 https://web.archive.org/web/20180104195857/http://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-27654505 live In January 2015, anti-terrorist operations against a group thought to be planning an imminent attack had left two suspects dead in the town of Verviers, with raids in Brussels and Zaventem also being carried out.https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-30840160 Belgian anti-terror raid in Verviers 'leaves two dead' BBC News 15 January 2015 21 June 2018 28 August 2019 https://web.archive.org/web/20190828014359/https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-30840160 live In August 2015, a terrorist shot and injured a passenger aboard a high-speed train on its way from Amsterdam to Paris via Brussels, before he was subdued by other passengers.https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-34023361 France train shooting: Three hurt and man arrested BBC News 22 August 2015 21 August 2015 21 August 2015 https://web.archive.org/web/20150821201516/https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-34023361 live The November 2015 Paris attacks were co-ordinated from Belgium and Brussels was locked down for five days to allow the police to search for suspects with the aid of the military.War of Nerves. The Domestic Terror Threat and the Belgian Army Studies in Conflict & Terrorism 42 11 953–971 Kenneth Lasoen Studies in Conflict & Terrorism (2018) 10.1080/1057610X.2018.1431270 2019 116180694 On 18 March 2016, four days before the Brussels bombings, Salah Abdeslam and another suspect in the Paris attacks were captured after two anti-terrorist raids in Brussels. A third suspect was killed during one of the raids.https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-35860157 Paris attacks: Salah Abdeslam 'worth his weight in gold' BBC News 21 March 2016 21 March 2016 25 August 2019 https://web.archive.org/web/20190825024739/https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-35860157 live During questioning the day after his arrest, Abdeslam claimed not to know the El Bakroui brothers or to recognise them from photographs.https://www.nytimes.com/2016/03/27/world/europe/in-brussels-bombing-plot-a-trail-of-dots-not-connected.html In Brussels Bombing Plot, a Trail of Dots Not Connected 27 March 2016 The New York Times 28 March 2016 27 March 2016 https://web.archive.org/web/20160327233935/http://www.nytimes.com/2016/03/27/world/europe/in-brussels-bombing-plot-a-trail-of-dots-not-connected.html live Belgian investigators believed that Abdeslam's arrest may have hastened the Brussels bombings.https://www.france24.com/en/20170817-belgium-orders-trial-terror-suspect-abdeslam-over-shootout-0 Belgium orders trial for terror suspect Abdeslam over shootout 17 August 2017 France 24 10 March 2023 10 March 2023 https://web.archive.org/web/20230310223629/https://www.france24.com/en/20170817-belgium-orders-trial-terror-suspect-abdeslam-over-shootout-0 live According to the Belgian Interior Minister, Jan Jambon, who spoke after the bombings, authorities knew of preparations for an extremist act in Europe, but they underestimated the scale of the attack.https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/europe/belgium/12201611/Brussels-bombings-terrorist-attack-on-Belgium-airport-and-Metro-live.html https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20220112/https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/europe/belgium/12201611/Brussels-bombings-terrorist-attack-on-Belgium-airport-and-Metro-live.html 12 January 2022 subscription live Brussels attacks: suicide bomber was known militant deported from Turkey to Europe, president says – live The Daily Telegraph 22 March 2016 22 March 2016 David Lawler Danny Boyle James Rothwell Attacks Timeline of attacks right 25% 7:33 – The three attackers arrive at Brussels Airport in a taxi.Procès des attentats de Bruxelles : taxi, fausses pistes, perquisitions… le récit de l'enquête se poursuit https://bx1.be/dossiers/attentats-de-bruxelles/proces-des-attentats-le-chauffeur-de-taxi-decrit-son-trajet-vers-brussels-airport-avec-les-terroristes/ BX1 11 January 2023 9 March 2023 9 March 2023 https://web.archive.org/web/20230309133842/https://bx1.be/dossiers/attentats-de-bruxelles/proces-des-attentats-le-chauffeur-de-taxi-decrit-son-trajet-vers-brussels-airport-avec-les-terroristes/ live 7:58 – Two explosions occur in the airport's check-in area, 9 seconds apart.Timeline of the Brussels attacks https://www.theguardian.com/world/ng-interactive/2016/mar/22/where-the-brussels-attackers-struck The Guardian 22 March 2016 16 December 2016 15 December 2016 https://web.archive.org/web/20161215123630/https://www.theguardian.com/world/ng-interactive/2016/mar/22/where-the-brussels-attackers-struck live 9:04 – Belgium raises the terror threat level to its highest level.Beslissing om metro te sluiten viel 21 minuten voor explosie in station Maalbeek http://www.demorgen.be/binnenland/beslissing-om-metro-te-sluiten-viel-21-minuten-voor-explosie-in-station-maalbeek-b05172d3/ De Morgen 25 March 2016 26 March 2016 28 March 2016 https://web.archive.org/web/20160328015726/http://www.demorgen.be/binnenland/beslissing-om-metro-te-sluiten-viel-21-minuten-voor-explosie-in-station-maalbeek-b05172d3 live 9:11 – An explosion occurs in Brussels Maelbeek/Maalbeek metro station. 9:27 – All public transport is suspended in the city.Dearden Lizzie Brussels attacks timeline: How bombings unfolded at airport and Metro station https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/brussels-attacks-timeline-how-bombings-unfolded-at-airport-and-metro-station-a6945781.html https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20220501/https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/brussels-attacks-timeline-how-bombings-unfolded-at-airport-and-metro-station-a6945781.html 1 May 2022 subscription live 22 March 2016 The Independent 22 March 2016 11:15 – Eurostar rail journeys between London and Brussels are cancelled until further notice.Timeline: Brussels attacks http://www.rte.ie/news/2016/0322/776700-timeline-brussels-attacks/ RTÉ News 22 March 2016 22 March 2016 24 March 2016 https://web.archive.org/web/20160324093459/http://www.rte.ie/news/2016/0322/776700-timeline-brussels-attacks/ live 13:57 – Bomb disposal officers detonate a third bomb at Brussels Airport.Le "chaos total" à l'aéroport de Zaventem La Libre 21 December 2022 https://www.lalibre.be/belgique/judiciaire/2022/12/21/le-chaos-total-a-laeroport-de-zaventem-FKZSRZXBC5HXFP6AWOBAM5DBKI/ 9 March 2023 9 March 2023 https://web.archive.org/web/20230309215644/https://www.lalibre.be/belgique/judiciaire/2022/12/21/le-chaos-total-a-laeroport-de-zaventem-FKZSRZXBC5HXFP6AWOBAM5DBKI/ live right All times are CET (UTC+1). There were two coordinated attacks: two attackers exploded nail bombs at Brussels Airport, and one attacker exploded a bomb at Maelbeek metro station. Brussels Airport Two suicide bombers, carrying explosives in large suitcases, attacked the departure hall at Brussels Airport in Zaventem. The first explosion occurred at 07:58 in check-in row 11; the second explosion occurred about nine seconds later in check-in row 2. The suicide bombers were visible in CCTV footage. Some witnesses said that before the first explosion occurred, there were shouts in Arabic. Some also reported hearing gunfire but investigators established that no shots were fired, although both suicide bombers were carrying handguns which had detonated due to the explosions.https://bx1.be/dossiers/attentats-de-bruxelles/proces-des-attentats-le-chauffeur-de-taxi-decrit-son-trajet-vers-brussels-airport-avec-les-terroristes/ Procès des attentats de Bruxelles : taxi, fausses pistes, perquisitions… le récit de l'enquête se poursuit 11 January 2023 BX! 9 March 2023 9 March 2023 https://web.archive.org/web/20230309133842/https://bx1.be/dossiers/attentats-de-bruxelles/proces-des-attentats-le-chauffeur-de-taxi-decrit-son-trajet-vers-brussels-airport-avec-les-terroristes/ live A third suicide bomber left the airport without detonating his bomb, which was later found in a search of the airport and destroyed by a controlled explosion. Maelbeek metro station Just over an hour later, at 9:11, a suicide bomber detonated a bomb in a rucksack in the middle carriage of a three-carriage train at Maelbeek metro station, located near the European Commission headquarters in the European Quarter of Brussels, 10 km 0 from Brussels Airport.Rankin Jennifer Henley Jon 22 March 2016 Islamic State claims attacks at Brussels airport and metro station https://www.theguardian.com/world/2016/mar/22/brussels-airport-explosions-heard live https://web.archive.org/web/20200407163721/https://www.theguardian.com/world/2016/mar/22/brussels-airport-explosions-heard 7 April 2020 11 March 2023 The Guardian The train was travelling on line 5 towards the city centre, and was pulling out of Maelbeek metro station when the bomb exploded.https://www.lesoir.be/489570/article/2023-01-18/proces-des-attentats-de-bruxelles-kalhid-el-bakraoui-pris-le-metro-dans-le-sens Procès des attentats de Bruxelles: Kalhid El Bakraoui a pris le métro dans le sens opposé à Maelbeek avant de se faire exploser 18 January 2023 Le Soir 11 March 2023 11 March 2023 https://web.archive.org/web/20230311130207/https://www.lesoir.be/489570/article/2023-01-18/proces-des-attentats-de-bruxelles-kalhid-el-bakraoui-pris-le-metro-dans-le-sens live The driver immediately stopped the train and helped to evacuate the passengers.Le conducteur du métro attaqué à Maelbeek: "J'ai fait ce que j'avais à faire" https://www.rtbf.be/info/societe/detail_christian-delhasse-le-conducteur-du-metro-attaque-a-maelbeek-j-ai-fait-ce-que-j-avais-a-faire?id=9248958 RTBF 22 March 2016 31 March 2016 4 April 2016 https://web.archive.org/web/20160404013604/http://www.rtbf.be/info/societe/detail_christian-delhasse-le-conducteur-du-metro-attaque-a-maelbeek-j-ai-fait-ce-que-j-avais-a-faire?id=9248958 live The Brussels Metro was subsequently shut down at 09:27. A second suicide bomber carrying a bomb in a rucksack left the metro without detonating his bomb, instead taking it back to a hideout in Etterbeek, an eastern municipality of Brussels, where he dismantled it.https://www.vrt.be/vrtnws/en/2016/04/29/second_maalbeek_bombflusheddownthetoilet-1-2642486/ Second Maalbeek bomb flushed down the toilet? 29 April 2016 VRT 11 March 2023 11 March 2023 https://web.archive.org/web/20230311130213/https://www.vrt.be/vrtnws/en/2016/04/29/second_maalbeek_bombflusheddownthetoilet-1-2642486/ live Victims + Deaths by citizenshiphttps://www.vrt.be/vrtnws/en/2022/12/05/the-faces-of-victims-of-the-brussels-terror-attacks/ The faces of victims of the Brussels terror attacks 5 December 2022 23 March 2023 VRT 7 April 2023 https://web.archive.org/web/20230407164656/https://www.vrt.be/vrtnws/en/2022/12/05/the-faces-of-victims-of-the-brussels-terror-attacks/ live Citizenship Deaths Belgium 14 United States 4 Netherlands 3 Sweden 2 Democratic Republic of CongoA Congolese-Belgian man 1 China 1 India 1 ItalyAn Italian-Belgian woman 1 MoroccoA Moroccan-Belgian woman 1 Germany 1 Peru 1 Poland 1 United Kingdom 1 Total 32 Thirty-two people, excluding the three suicide bombers, were killed in the attacks and over 300 were injured. Sixteen died in the airport attack and sixteen in the metro attack. The bombings were the deadliest attack on Belgium since World War II. Seventeen of the victims were Belgian (including three with dual nationality) and the rest were foreign nationals. Foreign victims came from different countries including the US, the Netherlands, Sweden, Germany, the United Kingdom, Poland, China, India and Peru. They ranged in age from 20 years to 79 years.https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-35880119 Victims of the Brussels attacks 15 April 2016 BBC News 12 March 2023 12 March 2023 https://web.archive.org/web/20230312131723/https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-35880119 live Among the fatalities at the airport was retired diplomat André Adam, who had served as Belgian Permanent Representative to the United Nations and as Ambassador to the United States.https://abcnews.go.com/Health/belgian-ambassador-us-dead-terror-attacks/story?id=37934278 Former Belgian Ambassador to US Among Dead in Terror Attacks ABC News 25 March 2016 Gillian Mohney 28 May 2019 Abc.go.com 4 April 2019 https://web.archive.org/web/20190404022043/https://abcnews.go.com/Health/belgian-ambassador-us-dead-terror-attacks/story?id=37934278 live On 25 July 2023, a Brussels court ruled that three people who had died in the years following the attacks should be recognised as victims and the official number of victims was revised from 32 to 35. One woman died by euthanasia due to psychological suffering, one man died by suicide and one man died of cancer, his treatment having been interrupted due to the injuries he sustained in the metro bombing.https://www.rtbf.be/article/proces-des-attentats-de-bruxelles-le-bilan-officiel-du-nombre-de-victimes-revu-a-la-hausse-11232684 Procès des attentats de Bruxelles : le bilan officiel du nombre de victimes revu à la hausse 25 July 2023 RTBF On 22 March 2026, the total was further revised to 36 after the suicide of a woman whose mother had been killed in the airport attack.22 March 2026 Katarina Viktorsson erkend als 36ste slachtoffer van aanslagen Katarina Viktorsson recognised as the 36th victim of the attacks https://www.bruzz.be/actua/samenleving/katarina-viktorsson-erkend-als-36ste-slachtoffer-van-aanslagen-2026-03-22 BRUZZ nl-BE Perpetrators thumb|Still from CCTV footage showing Najim Laachraoui (left), Ibrahim El Bakraoui (centre), and Mohamed Abrini (right). Brussels ISIL terror cell Profiles A total of five attackers took bombs into the airport and metro, with three of them dying in suicide bombings and the remaining two, who left without detonating their bombs, arrested sixteen days later. All five had also been involved in the planning and organisation of the November 2015 Paris attacks. They were identified and named as: Ibrahim El Bakraoui, aged 29, was one of the suicide bombers at Brussels Airport. In 2010, he had shot and injured a police officer during an attempted robbery at a currency exchange office. He was sentenced to 10 years in prison but was released early. In June 2015 he was arrested in Turkey near the Syrian border and deported. He was wanted in connection with the Paris attacks.https://www.theguardian.com/world/2016/mar/23/brussels-attacks-schaerbeek-flat-coordinated-atrocities-plotted-el-bakraoui The men in the top floor flat who sowed terror in Brussels 24 March 2016 The Guardian 12 March 2023 12 March 2023 https://web.archive.org/web/20230312203911/https://www.theguardian.com/world/2016/mar/23/brussels-attacks-schaerbeek-flat-coordinated-atrocities-plotted-el-bakraoui live Najim Laachraoui, aged 24, was one of the suicide bombers at Brussels Airport. He had travelled to Syria in 2013. He is believed to have made the bombs used in the Paris attacks. Khalid El Bakraoui: aged 27, the younger brother of Ibrahim El Bakraoui, carried out the suicide bombing at Maelbeek metro station. In 2012 he received a prison sentence for a violent car-jacking. He was wanted for breaching his parole conditions and also in connection with the Paris attacks. Mohamed Abrini, born 27 December 1984, fled Brussels Airport without detonating his bomb. He was arrested on 8 April 2016. He was a childhood friend of brothers Salah Abdeslam and Brahim Abdeslam, who were both involved in the Paris attacks. On 29 June 2022 at a court in Paris, Abrini was convicted of involvement in the attacks and received a sentence of life imprisonment with a minimum term of 22 years.https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-61989354 Paris trial: Salah Abdeslam guilty as historic trial ends BBC 30 June 2022 8 December 2022 9 December 2022 https://web.archive.org/web/20221209182729/https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-61989354 live Osama Krayem: born 16 August 1992, accompanied Khalid El Bakraoui to the metro but fled without detonating his explosives. He was arrested on 8 April 2016. Having grown up in Sweden, he went to Syria in 2015 and joined the IS group.https://www.theguardian.com/world/2016/apr/20/brussels-bombings-osama-krayem-suspect-charged-role-paris-attacks Brussels bombings suspect charged with role in Paris attacks 20 April 2016 The Guardian 12 March 2023 12 March 2023 https://web.archive.org/web/20230312203911/https://www.theguardian.com/world/2016/apr/20/brussels-bombings-osama-krayem-suspect-charged-role-paris-attacks live On 29 June 2022 at the Paris attacks trial, he was sentenced to 30 years in prison. Investigation The airport attackers had ordered a taxi from an address on the fr Rue Max Roos no/nl Max Roosstraat no in Schaerbeek, a northern municipality of Brussels, on 22 March 2016. Within half an hour of the airport attack, the taxi driver had contacted police. On hearing of the attacks on the radio, he became suspicious of his previous passengers who had refused his offer of help with loading and unloading their heavy suitcases, and had left a chemical smell in the taxi. He went to a police station and was able to recognise the three men from security camera video of Brussels Airport which showed the attackers pushing the suitcases containing bombs on luggage trolleys in the departure hall.https://bx1.be/dossiers/attentats-de-bruxelles/proces-des-attentats-le-chauffeur-de-taxi-decrit-son-trajet-vers-brussels-airport-avec-les-terroristes/ Procès des attentats de Bruxelles : taxi, fausses pistes, perquisitions… le récit de l'enquête se poursuit 11 January 2023 BX1 9 March 2023 9 March 2023 https://web.archive.org/web/20230309133842/https://bx1.be/dossiers/attentats-de-bruxelles/proces-des-attentats-le-chauffeur-de-taxi-decrit-son-trajet-vers-brussels-airport-avec-les-terroristes/ live This early lead allowed the police to search the apartment on the Rue Max Roos the same day. They found a suitcase bomb that had been left behind because it would not fit into the taxi, and also bomb making material and equipment and an IS flag.https://www.lalibre.be/belgique/judiciaire/2023/01/16/attentats-de-bruxelles-max-roos-une-planque-dediee-a-la-fabrication-des-explosifs-utilises-a-zaventem-et-maelbeek-IT4GTUJR3JGGTDM3EXWE4FS2CE/ Attentats de Bruxelles : Max Roos, une planque dédiée à la fabrication des explosifs utilisés à Zaventem et Maelbeek 16 January 2023 La Libre 13 March 2023 13 March 2023 https://web.archive.org/web/20230313132317/https://www.lalibre.be/belgique/judiciaire/2023/01/16/attentats-de-bruxelles-max-roos-une-planque-dediee-a-la-fabrication-des-explosifs-utilises-a-zaventem-et-maelbeek-IT4GTUJR3JGGTDM3EXWE4FS2CE/ live Earlier in the morning of 22 March 2016, municipal workers clearing rubbish in the Rue Max Roos had retrieved a laptop from a bin. When they realised that it contained IS-related material they handed it to the police. Analysis of the laptop revealed numerous files relating to IS, the Paris attacks, potential targets (including the Belgian Prime Minister Charles Michel), as well as messages, texts, wills and photographs created by the Brussels attackers.https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-35924363 Brussels bombers may have targeted Belgian PM Michel 30 March 2016 BBC News 13 March 2023 13 March 2023 https://web.archive.org/web/20230313132317/https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-35924363 live On 24 and 25 March 2016 police arrested twelve people in raids in Belgium, France and Germany. One man was identified as the third airport attacker, the "man in the hat" seen on CCTV with the two suicide bombers at the airport on the day of the attacks. He was charged with terrorist offences.https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-35903368 Brussels attacks: Man charged with terrorist offences BBC News 26 March 2016 21 June 2018 1 April 2019 https://web.archive.org/web/20190401025042/https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-35903368 live It turned out to be a case of mistaken identity and the man was released after providing an alibi. Abrini later admitted to being the "man in the hat".https://www.politico.eu/article/brussels-terror-attacks-wrong-man-in-the-hat-faycal-cheffou-i-am-a-broken-man-airport/ Wrong 'man in the hat' Fayçal Cheffou: 'I am a broken man' 13 May 2016 Politico 13 March 2023 13 March 2023 https://web.archive.org/web/20230313132317/https://www.politico.eu/article/brussels-terror-attacks-wrong-man-in-the-hat-faycal-cheffou-i-am-a-broken-man-airport/ live The FBI's Next Gen Identification System facial recognition software helped confirm the identification of the "man with the hat" on CCTV footage as Abrini.https://www.rtl.be/info/belgique/faits-divers/attentats-a-bruxelles-mohamed-abrini-identifie-comme-etant-l-homme-au-chapeau-grace-au-fbi-810388.aspx Attentats à Bruxelles: Mohamed Abrini identifié comme étant "l'homme au chapeau" grâce au FBI RTL (French radio) 15 April 2016 8 January 2019 fr 9 January 2019 https://web.archive.org/web/20190109013331/https://www.rtl.be/info/belgique/faits-divers/attentats-a-bruxelles-mohamed-abrini-identifie-comme-etant-l-homme-au-chapeau-grace-au-fbi-810388.aspx live While the airport attackers were using the hideout in the Rue Max Roos in Schaerbeek, the metro attackers were using a hideout in the municipality of Etterbeek in the south-east of Brussels. Analysis of phone records had located them in the area on the morning of the attacks, but it was only after the arrest of Krayem on 8 April 2016 that police were given the address of a studio apartment in the fr Avenue des Casernes no/nl Kazernenlaan no. A search of the studio revealed little, as it had in the meantime been cleaned, but CCTV recording from the entrance hall of the block allowed investigators to track the movements of members of the Brussels cell who had stayed at or visited the address.https://www.rtbf.be/article/proces-des-attentats-de-bruxelles-les-nombreux-allers-retours-des-accuses-dans-lappartement-de-la-rue-des-casernes-11137267 Procès des attentats de Bruxelles : les nombreux allers-retours des accusés dans l'appartement de la rue des Casernes 19 January 2023 RTBF 13 March 2023 13 March 2023 https://web.archive.org/web/20230313132317/https://www.rtbf.be/article/proces-des-attentats-de-bruxelles-les-nombreux-allers-retours-des-accuses-dans-lappartement-de-la-rue-des-casernes-11137267 live Aftermath The Islamic State claimed responsibility for the attacks later on the same day, saying that Belgium had been attacked as "a country participating in the international coalition against the Islamic State".Dearden Lizzie 22 March 2016 Isis claims responsibility for Brussels attacks 'in revenge for Belgium's role fighting militants in Syria and Iraq' https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/isis-claims-responsibility-for-brussels-attacks-explosions-bombings-at-airport-and-maalbeek-maelbeek-metro-station-a6946136.html live https://web.archive.org/web/20221207113240/https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/isis-claims-responsibility-for-brussels-attacks-explosions-bombings-at-airport-and-maalbeek-maelbeek-metro-station-a6946136.html 7 December 2022 7 December 2022 Independent Raids and searches were made across Belgium, while security was heightened in a number of countries as a result of the attacks.https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-35876809 Brussels attacks: Police hunt Zaventem bombings suspect BBC News 22 March 2016 22 March 2016 22 March 2016 https://web.archive.org/web/20160322191446/http://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-35876809 live Belgium thumb|Digital billboard in Brussels. It reads, in French, "Stay where you are, avoid all movement, prioritise communications by text message or social media." thumb|People gathering, chalk drawings and flowers for the victims. The largest message says (translated from French), Brussels is beautiful, with further inscriptions of Stop violence, Stop war, Unity, and Humanity. Air traffic to Brussels Airport was halted after the attacks and passenger flights did not resume until twelve days later, on 3 April 2016, with three Brussels Airlines flights leaving for Faro, Turin and Athens.https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-35951454 Brussels attacks: Flights resume at Zaventem airport 3 April 2016 BBC News 20 March 2023 23 April 2023 https://web.archive.org/web/20230423034238/https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-35951454 live The re-built departure hall partially re-opened on 1 May 2016 with heightened security causing long queues.https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-36187021 Brussels Airport departure hall reopens amid long queues 2 May 2016 BBC 20 March 2023 20 March 2023 https://web.archive.org/web/20230320223204/https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-36187021 live All public transport in Brussels was shut down following the attacks, with major railway stations also closed and Eurostar and Thalys journeys cancelled.https://www.france24.com/en/20160322-brussels-shuts-down-belgium-terror-attacks Brussels shuts down after terror attacks 22 March 2016 France 24 20 March 2023 20 March 2023 https://web.archive.org/web/20230320223201/https://www.france24.com/en/20160322-brussels-shuts-down-belgium-terror-attacks live Maelbeek metro station re-opened on 25 April 2016.https://www.france24.com/en/20160425-brussels-metro-station-maelbeek-reopen-one-month-after-terrorist-attacks Brussels' Maelbeek metro station reopens one month after terrorist attacks 25 April 2016 France 24 20 March 2023 20 March 2023 https://web.archive.org/web/20230320223210/https://www.france24.com/en/20160425-brussels-metro-station-maelbeek-reopen-one-month-after-terrorist-attacks live After the attacks, enhanced security measures were introduced at Brussels Airport and in the metro.https://www.politico.eu/article/a-year-after-brussels-attacks-whats-fixed-and-still-broken/ A year after Brussels attacks, what's fixed and still broken 21 March 2017 Politico Europe 20 March 2023 20 March 2023 https://web.archive.org/web/20230320223202/https://www.politico.eu/article/a-year-after-brussels-attacks-whats-fixed-and-still-broken/ live Following the attacks Belgium raised its terror threat to the highest level of four, lowering it again to three on 24 March 2016.https://www.lesoir.be/32405/article/2016-03-24/locam-baisse-le-niveau-de-menace-terroriste-3-voici-les-nouvelles-mesures L'Ocam baisse le niveau de menace terroriste à 3: voici les nouvelles mesures 24 March 2016 Le Soir 16 April 2023 16 April 2023 https://web.archive.org/web/20230416103904/https://www.lesoir.be/32405/article/2016-03-24/locam-baisse-le-niveau-de-menace-terroriste-3-voici-les-nouvelles-mesures live The government expanded the military protection of potential targets, that had been in place since January 2015, to include more soft targets and public places (Operation Vigilant Guardian).Lasoen Kenneth War of Nerves. The Domestic Terror Threat and the Belgian Army Studies in Conflict & Terrorism 42 11 953–971 10.1080/1057610X.2018.1431270 2019 116180694 Temporary border checks were implemented by Belgian and French authorities at some major crossings on the France-Belgium border.Julien Absalon Attentats à Bruxelles: des contrôles renforcés à la frontière franco-belge http://www.rtl.fr/actu/societe-faits-divers/attentats-a-bruxelles-des-controles-renforces-a-la-frontiere-franco-belge-7782490459 22 March 2016 RTL 22 March 2016 26 March 2016 https://web.archive.org/web/20160326091645/http://www.rtl.fr/actu/societe-faits-divers/attentats-a-bruxelles-des-controles-renforces-a-la-frontiere-franco-belge-7782490459 live The country's two nuclear power plants – Tihange and Doel – were partially evacuated as a precaution.Chrisafis Angelique 25 March 2016 Belgium steps up security at nuclear sites in wake of attacks https://www.theguardian.com/world/2016/mar/25/belgium-steps-up-security-at-nuclear-sites-in-wake-of-attacks live https://web.archive.org/web/20170417155633/https://www.theguardian.com/world/2016/mar/25/belgium-steps-up-security-at-nuclear-sites-in-wake-of-attacks 17 April 2017 20 March 2023 The Guardian The federal government announced three days of national mourning, lasting from Tuesday 22 March until Thursday 24 March, and flags were flown at half-mast on public buildings.Belgium to Begin 3 Days of National Mourning https://www.nytimes.com/live/brussels-airport-explosions-live-coverage/belgium-to-begin-3-days-of-national-mourning/ 22 March 2016 The New York Times 22 March 2016 23 March 2016 https://web.archive.org/web/20160323183008/http://www.nytimes.com/live/brussels-airport-explosions-live-coverage/belgium-to-begin-3-days-of-national-mourning/ live There was also a one-minute silence held at noon local time on 23 March, which ended with spontaneous applause and chants of "Vive la Belgique" at the Place de la Bourse/Beursplein.Krol Charlotte Brussels attacks: Hundreds gather for one minute silence to remember victims https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/europe/belgium/12202124/Brussels-attacks-Hundreds-gather-for-one-minute-silence-to-remember-victims.html https://web.archive.org/web/20160323125902/http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/europe/belgium/12202124/Brussels-attacks-Hundreds-gather-for-one-minute-silence-to-remember-victims.html dead 23 March 2016 31 May 2018 The Telegraph 23 March 2016 Five days after the attacks, disturbances broke out at the makeshift memorial in the Place de la Bourse resulting in riot police using water cannon to disperse right-wing demonstrators.https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-35907469 Brussels attacks: Police move against 'hooligan' protesters 27 March 2016 BBC News 10 March 2023 10 March 2023 https://web.archive.org/web/20230310000229/https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-35907469 live There was immediate condemnation of the attacks from Belgian Muslim groups such as the League of Imams in Belgium and Executive of the Muslims in Belgium, who publicly condemned the bombings and expressed their condolences to the victims and their families.Les leaders de la communauté musulmane de Belgique condamnent les attentats de Bruxelles http://www.rtbf.be/info/societe/detail_les-leaders-de-la-communaute-musulmane-de-belgique-condamnent-les-attentats-de-bruxelles?id=9248809 RTBF 22 March 2016 23 March 2016 4 April 2016 https://web.archive.org/web/20160404004334/http://www.rtbf.be/info/societe/detail_les-leaders-de-la-communaute-musulmane-de-belgique-condamnent-les-attentats-de-bruxelles?id=9248809 live On 1 April, religious leaders in Brussels gathered together for a memorial to the victims of the bombings. They expressed their desire to spread a religious message of unity throughout Belgium, and to combat extremism.http://www.euronews.com/2016/04/01/religious-leaders-in-unity-pledge-after-brussels-bombings/ Religious leaders in unity pledge after Brussels bombings Euronews 1 April 2016 1 April 2016 5 April 2016 https://web.archive.org/web/20160405185427/http://www.euronews.com/2016/04/01/religious-leaders-in-unity-pledge-after-brussels-bombings/ live The mayor of Molenbeek, to which several of the terrorists involved in the Brussels and Paris attacks had connections, commenced a clean-up operation with the help of national authorities. Some mosques were closed for using incendiary language and an investigation mounted into nonprofit organisations in the area with links to illegal activities or religious radicalism.https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/brussels-terror-attacks-one-year-anniversary-belgium-capital-bomb-airport-maelbeek-subway-station-a7645406.html https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20220501/https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/brussels-terror-attacks-one-year-anniversary-belgium-capital-bomb-airport-maelbeek-subway-station-a7645406.html 1 May 2022 subscription live Brussels terror attacks: Scars heal but pain lingers as Belgium marks one-year anniversary 23 March 2017 The Independent 26 July 2017 en-GB It was found that of 1,600 nonprofit organisations registered in the district, 102 had links to criminal activities, including 51 with links to religious radicalism or terrorism.http://www.politico.eu/article/belgiums-molenbeek-home-to-51-groups-with-terror-links-report/ Belgium's Molenbeek home to 51 groups with terror links: report 20 March 2017 Politico Europe 26 July 2017 en-US 21 June 2017 https://web.archive.org/web/20170621121426/http://www.politico.eu/article/belgiums-molenbeek-home-to-51-groups-with-terror-links-report/ live After the attacks two non-profit organisations, Life4Brussels and V-Europe, were set up to help victims.https://www.life4brussels.org/ Life4Brussels Life4Brussels 22 March 2023 22 March 2023 https://web.archive.org/web/20230322215625/https://www.life4brussels.org/ live https://v-europe.org/en_GB/ V-Europe V-Europe 22 March 2023 22 March 2023 https://web.archive.org/web/20230322215625/https://v-europe.org/en_GB/ live On 29 March 2016, it was revealed that Ibrahim and Khalid El Bakraoui were released early from prison (in 2015 and 2013 respectively) due to a law introduced in 1888 known as Lejeune, which allows inmates to be released after serving a third of their sentence. Belgian Interior Minister Jan Jambon stated that the government had agreed to update the law in 2014.https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/world/2016/03/29/19th-century-belgian-law-allowed-bombing-suspects-go-free/82391856/ 19th-century Belgian law allowed bombing suspects to go free USA Today 29 March 2016 1 April 2016 1 April 2016 https://web.archive.org/web/20160401052842/http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/world/2016/03/29/19th-century-belgian-law-allowed-bombing-suspects-go-free/82391856/ live A report commissioned by the government suggested that Belgium had lost nearly €1 billion as a result of the attacks with the hospitality and retail industries being especially hard hit.https://www.politico.eu/article/brussels-terror-attacks-cost-belgian-economy-almost-e1-billion-report/ Brussels terror attacks cost Belgian economy almost €1 billion: report 26 July 2016 Politico Europe 20 March 2023 20 March 2023 https://web.archive.org/web/20230320223201/https://www.politico.eu/article/brussels-terror-attacks-cost-belgian-economy-almost-e1-billion-report/ live On 3 January 2019, a hard disk containing autopsy reports of victims of the Brussels attacks was amongst items stolen from a medical examiner's office in the Portalis court building in Brussels. A man who had previously been convicted of terrorist offences was charged with the theft.https://www.rtl.be/actu/vol-des-rapports-dautopsie-la-chambre-du-conseil-confirme-le-mandat-darret-du/2019-01-09/article/177299 Vol des rapports d'autopsie: la chambre du conseil confirme le mandat d'arrêt du suspect 9 January 2019 RTL 20 March 2023 20 March 2023 https://web.archive.org/web/20230320224706/https://www.rtl.be/actu/vol-des-rapports-dautopsie-la-chambre-du-conseil-confirme-le-mandat-darret-du/2019-01-09/article/177299 live Other countries In the aftermath of the attacks, security was tightened at airports, railway stations and other key sites in Europe and across the world.https://www.cbc.ca/news/world/brussels-bombing-europe-security-1.3501903 Brussels bombings: European airports, train stations, metros tighten security 22 March 2016 CBC 20 March 2023 20 March 2023 https://web.archive.org/web/20230320223207/https://www.cbc.ca/news/world/brussels-bombing-europe-security-1.3501903 live Reactions Reactions to the 2016 Brussels bombings thumb|The sculpture Flight in Mind by the artist Olivier Strebelle was damaged in the attacks. After some months of restoration, the sculpture was relocated to an outdoor area of the airport. It is seen here on the 1st anniversary of the attacks. On the evening of 22 March 2016, King Philippe gave a televised address to the nation.https://www.europe1.fr/international/plusieurs-explosions-a-laeroport-de-zaventem-de-bruxelles-2699089 Journée de terreur à Bruxelles 23 March 2016 Europe 1 20 March 2023 20 March 2023 https://web.archive.org/web/20230320223201/https://www.europe1.fr/international/plusieurs-explosions-a-laeroport-de-zaventem-de-bruxelles-2699089 live The following day, he and Queen Mathilde visited the airport, as well as some of the injured in hospital.https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-35879141 Brussels attacks: Two brothers behind Belgium bombings 23 March 2016 BBC News 20 March 2023 20 March 2023 https://web.archive.org/web/20230320223201/https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-35879141 live Following the attacks, a number of structures around the world were illuminated in the colours of the Belgian flag, including the Brandenburg Gate in Berlin, the Burj Khalifa in Dubai, the Eiffel Tower in Paris, the National Gallery in London's Trafalgar Square, the Royal Palace in Amsterdam, and the Trevi Fountain in Rome.Ruiz Ulises Cities lit up in tribute to Brussels victims - in pictures https://www.theguardian.com/world/gallery/2016/mar/23/brussels-victims-cities-lit-up-tribute-in-pictures 23 March 2016 The Guardian 23 March 2016 23 March 2016 https://web.archive.org/web/20160323081501/http://www.theguardian.com/world/gallery/2016/mar/23/brussels-victims-cities-lit-up-tribute-in-pictures live In New York City, the One World Trade Center was lit up, while the spire of the Empire State Building went dark.http://www.nbcnewyork.com/news/local/One-World-Trade-Center-to-Display-Belgian-Colors-373111321.html One World Trade Center to Display Belgian Colors NBCUniversal Media, LLC 22 March 2016 22 March 2016 24 March 2016 https://web.archive.org/web/20160324211631/http://www.nbcnewyork.com/news/local/One-World-Trade-Center-to-Display-Belgian-Colors-373111321.html live Hours after the attack, the French-language hashtag #JeSuisBruxelles (#IamBrussels) and images of the Belgian comic character Tintin crying trended on social media sites.Müser Kate 22 March 2016 #JeSuisBruxelles: A picture is worth a thousand words https://www.dw.com/en/jesuisbruxelles-a-picture-of-grief-is-worth-a-thousand-words/a-19134144 live https://web.archive.org/web/20230320223200/https://www.dw.com/en/jesuisbruxelles-a-picture-of-grief-is-worth-a-thousand-words/a-19134144 20 March 2023 20 March 2023 DW News Also, hashtags such as #ikwilhelpen (#Iwanttohelp) and #PorteOuverte (#Opendoor) were used by Brussels residents who wanted to offer shelter and assistance for people who might need help.Kraft Amy 22 March 2016 Hashtags offer help in wake of Brussels attacks https://www.cbsnews.com/news/brussels-attacks-hashtags-social-media-help/ live https://web.archive.org/web/20230320223200/https://www.cbsnews.com/news/brussels-attacks-hashtags-social-media-help/ 20 March 2023 20 March 2023 CBS News Facebook activated its Safety Check feature following the attacks.Kraft Amy Facebook activates Safety Check after Brussels attacks https://www.cbsnews.com/news/brussels-attacks-facebook-activates-safety-check-feature/ CBS News 22 March 2016 CBS Interactive 25 March 2016 25 March 2016 https://web.archive.org/web/20160325134832/http://www.cbsnews.com/news/brussels-attacks-facebook-activates-safety-check-feature/ live While there was overwhelming support for Belgium, some used the attacks to support their political views and debate the issue of Islam in Western countries.#BrusselsAttacks: Grief, Islam and double standards http://www.aljazeera.com/news/2016/03/brusselsattacks-islam-social-media-160323032531306.html live https://web.archive.org/web/20171025073339/http://www.aljazeera.com/news/2016/03/brusselsattacks-islam-social-media-160323032531306.html 25 October 2017 24 October 2017 Al Jazeera Some expressed concern over the disproportionate emphasis placed on the attacks in Brussels over similar attacks in other countries, particularly in Turkey, where an attack had occurred just days before.Jones Sophia 22 March 2016 Turks, Reeling From String of Deadly Terrorist Attacks, React To Brussels Carnage: 'I Share Their Pain' https://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/turkey-brussels-attacks_us_56f1628ce4b03a640a6bb0d5 live https://web.archive.org/web/20190122000405/https://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/turkey-brussels-attacks_us_56f1628ce4b03a640a6bb0d5 22 January 2019 17 April 2020 The Huffington Post 2014 murder It is thought that the El-Bakraoui brothers were responsible for the unsolved murder in 2014 of an elderly man who was shot as he walked home from a café in the Jette area of Brussels. Abrini and Krayem told investigators that the brothers had said that they carried out the murder to see what it was like to kill someone. The victim's widow was told in 2020 that it was almost certain that the El-Bakraoui brothers had killed her husband, although officially the case was closed.https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-56370508 Brussels bombers 'murdered elderly man as a test' BBC 12 March 2021 12 December 2022 12 December 2022 https://web.archive.org/web/20221212113410/https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-56370508 live Parliamentary inquiry On 14 April 2016, the Belgian Federal Parliament established a commission of inquiry into the attacks and the failure of the security forces to prevent them. The commission was also given the task of examining the emergency response to the attacks and assistance to victims, the development of radicalism in Belgium, and the structure of the country's security services.https://www.dekamer.be/kvvcr/pdf_sections/publications/attentats/Brochure_Terrorists_Attacks.pdf Investigation committee Terrorist Attacks 22 March 2016: summary of the activities and recommendations The Belgian House of Representatives 2018 8 August 2019 8 August 2019 https://web.archive.org/web/20190808102201/https://www.dekamer.be/kvvcr/pdf_sections/publications/attentats/Brochure_Terrorists_Attacks.pdf live 11 Between August 2016 and October 2017, the commission published four interim reports: "Emergency response"; "Assistance to the victims"; "Security architecture"; "Radicalism".Brochure 12 The commission identified a number of problems with security forces: government and security forces running in parallel rather than together; faulty communications both within the country and with foreign counterparts of Belgian services; a failure to pay sufficient attention to proactive action and prevention of terrorism and radicalism; the underfunding of various security units; a lack of cooperation between units; a need for improved cooperation with European and international agencies; a proliferation of rules and procedures that threatened to exacerbate a lack of coherence in policy.Brochure 38-9 The commission identified a need for security forces to strengthen information management and establish an information-sharing culture within and between the security services. Whilst some services had too little information others suffered from information overload.Brochure 43 The commission's report also addressed a number of criticisms levelled at Belgium by the French parliamentary investigation into the November 2015 Paris attacks.Brochure 59 Trial In December 2022, ten men went on trial in Brussels for their involvement in the bombings. Oussama Atar, thought to have been killed in Syria, was tried in absentia. The nine accused who appeared in court were Mohamed Abrini, Osama Krayem, Salah Abdeslam, Sofien Ayari, Bilal El Makhoukhi, Hervé Bayingana Muhirwa, Ali El Haddad Asufi, Smail Farisi and Ibrahim Farisi. All except Ibrahim Farisi were charged with belonging to a terrorist group and terrorist-related murder and attempted murder. Ibrahim Farisi was charged only with belonging to a terrorist group. Six of the accused (Abrini, Krayem, Abdeslam, Ayari, El Haddad Asufi and Atar) had already been convicted in the Paris attacks trial. The Farisi brothers were on bail, while the others were all detained. The trial took place with a jury before presiding judge Laurence Massart in the Justitia building (the former headquarters of NATO) in Evere, Brussels.https://bx1.be/dossiers/attentats-de-bruxelles/proces-des-attentats-de-bruxelles-tout-ce-quil-faut-savoir-pour-suivre-les-audiences/ Procès des attentats de Bruxelles : tout ce qu'il faut savoir pour suivre les audiences bx1 5 December 2022 13 December 2022 13 December 2022 https://web.archive.org/web/20221213123945/https://bx1.be/dossiers/attentats-de-bruxelles/proces-des-attentats-de-bruxelles-tout-ce-quil-faut-savoir-pour-suivre-les-audiences/ live The trial was scheduled to start in October 2022 but was delayed as the defence lawyers objected to the design of the box, which then had to be rebuilt.https://www.france24.com/en/live-news/20211209-trial-over-2016-brussels-bombings-to-open-in-october-2022 Trial over 2016 Brussels bombings to open in October 2022 9 December 2021 France 24 29 May 2023 9 December 2021 https://web.archive.org/web/20211209152507/https://www.france24.com/en/live-news/20211209-trial-over-2016-brussels-bombings-to-open-in-october-2022 livehttps://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-63834777 Brussels attacks: Trial begins over 2016 attacks that killed 32 BBC News 5 December 2022 19 January 2023 19 January 2023 https://web.archive.org/web/20230119100915/https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-63834777 live In December and January there were interruptions to the trial as the defendants objected to being strip-searched before their transfer from prison to the courtroom.https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-64174161 Brussels bombings trial held up by suspects' boycott BBC News 5 January 2023 19 January 2023 19 January 2023 https://web.archive.org/web/20230119100855/https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-64174161 live The verdicts were announced on 25 July 2023 after the jury had deliberated for eighteen days. Six of the accused, Atar, Abrini, Abdeslam, El Haddad Asufi, El Makhoukhi and Krayem were found guilty of terrorist-related murder and attempted murder. Ayari and Muhirwa were convicted of terrorist activities but cleared of murder and attempted murder while the Farisi brothers were cleared of all charges against them.Thompson Linda 25 July 2023 Brussels bombers found guilty after long murder trial https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-66299186 BBC News After the verdicts, the court took a summer break. The jury and three judges then deliberated for five days over sentences, which were announced on 15 September 2023. Krayem, El Makhoukhi and Atar received life sentences. Abrini was sentenced to 30 years, El Haddad Asufi to 20 years, and Muhirwa to 10 years. Abrini and Ayari did not receive sentences, as the court considered that the 20-year sentences they had been given in 2018 for the Forest shootout, were sufficient.Eight men sentenced over 2016 Brussels bombings, ending Belgium's largest-ever criminal trial https://www.theguardian.com/world/2023/sep/16/eight-men-sentenced-over-2016-brussels-bombings-ending-belgiums-largest-ever-criminal-trial The Guardian 16 September 2023https://www.rtl.be/actu/belgique/justice/un-verdict-parfois-etonnant-voici-en-detail-les-peines-prononcees-contre-les/2023-09-15/article/588366 "Un verdict parfois étonnant": voici en détail les peines prononcées contre les huit coupables des attentats de Bruxelles 15 September 2023 RTL fr Memorials thumb|upright|Wall of messages at Maelbeek metro station In the aftermath of the attacks, the population of Brussels created spontaneous memorials as a societal reaction to what was perceived as a collective tragedy. In the hours following the attack, people started gathering at the Place de la Bourse/Beursplein. Mourners wrote chalk messages on the pavement and buildings surrounding the square. Numerous messages and mementos, usually every-day objects such as mugs or hats, were left at the Bourse memorial. According to Ana Milosevic, a researcher at KU Leuven, societal tensions and the need for answers about the causes and consequences of the attacks were salient in the first days and weeks after the event. During the two months of its existence, the Bourse memorial was used as a site of contestation and negotiation of the meanings associated with the terrorist attacks.Remembering the present: Dealing with the memories of terrorism in Europe Ana Milošević 24 May 2017 Contemporary Voices: St Andrews Journal of International Relations 8 2 44 10.15664/jtr.1269 free The Archives of the City of Brussels were asked by the mayor Yvan Mayeur and the city council to collect and document the societal reactions to the attacks. Over two months, the archives team documented the process of memorial creation, also collecting some of the memorabilia left by the mourners.http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/13527258.2017.1362574 Milosevic, Ana. 2018. Historicizing the present: Brussels attacks and heritagization of spontaneous memorials. International Journal of Heritage Studies 24(1):53–65 2017 24 1 10.1080/13527258.2017.1362574 149160122 24 October 2017 3 April 2019 https://web.archive.org/web/20190403212511/https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/13527258.2017.1362574 live Milošević Ana International Journal of Heritage Studies subscription In November 2016, a sculpture in memory of the victims of the bombings was inaugurated in the fr Place Communale no/nl Gemeenteplein no (Municipal Square) of Molenbeek. The sculpture, called the Flame of Hope, was created by local artist Moustapha Zoufri.https://www.brusselstimes.com/39958/brussels-attacks-sculpture-inaugurated-today-in-molenbeek-in-memory-of-victims Brussels attacks: sculpture inaugurated today in Molenbeek in memory of victims Brussels Times 8 November 2016 13 December 2022 13 December 2022 https://web.archive.org/web/20221213125831/https://www.brusselstimes.com/39958/brussels-attacks-sculpture-inaugurated-today-in-molenbeek-in-memory-of-victims live There is a memorial plaque in the departure hall of Brussels Airport, and, in the nearby Memorial Garden, a plaque listing the 16 people who died in the airport attack was inaugurated on 22 March 2018.https://www.lavenir.net/regions/2018/03/22/une-stele-commemorative-inauguree-au-memorial-garden-pres-de-laeroport-de-zaventem-ZOK2ETUS3FDUHK536CFL7MY23A/ Une stèle commémorative inaugurée au Memorial Garden, près de l'aéroport de Zaventem 22 March 2018 l'avenir 10 March 2023 10 March 2023 https://web.archive.org/web/20230310120735/https://www.lavenir.net/regions/2018/03/22/une-stele-commemorative-inauguree-au-memorial-garden-pres-de-laeroport-de-zaventem-ZOK2ETUS3FDUHK536CFL7MY23A/ live Following a public competition, a monument to the victims was unveiled by King Philippe on the first anniversary of the attacks on the pedestrianised section of the Rue de la Loi/Wetstraat, between Schuman metro station and the Parc du Cinquantenaire/Jubelpark. The monument, by Jean-Henri Compère, is called Wounded But Still Standing in Front of the Inconceivable and is constructed from two 20 m long horizontal surfaces rising skywards.https://www.theguardian.com/world/2017/mar/22/brussels-unveil-terror-victims-memorial-one-year-after-attacks Brussels attacks: 'Let us dare to be tender,' says king on first anniversary The Guardian 22 March 2017 10 March 2023 10 March 2023 https://web.archive.org/web/20230310120735/https://www.theguardian.com/world/2017/mar/22/brussels-unveil-terror-victims-memorial-one-year-after-attacks live The Brussels-Capital Region also created a memorial to the attacks with a land-art work by Bas Smets, who planted 32 birches (one for each victim) in the Sonian Forest (fr Drève de l'Infante no/nl Infantedreef no) called Memorial 22/03. Smets describes the memorial as "a place of silence and meditation". The birches are connected by a circular structure and separated from the rest of the forest by a small round canal.http://www.levif.be/actualite/belgique/22-mars-2016-un-memorial-pour-les-victimes-des-attentats-implante-en-foret-de-soignes/article-normal-632565.html Le Vif/L'Express Belga fr 22 mars 2016 : Un mémorial pour les victimes des attentats implanté en Forêt de Soignes 22 March 2017 24 October 2017 22 March 2017 https://web.archive.org/web/20170322143835/http://www.levif.be/actualite/belgique/22-mars-2016-un-memorial-pour-les-victimes-des-attentats-implante-en-foret-de-soignes/article-normal-632565.html live In Maelbeek metro station, a commemorative mural called The Olive Tree was created by Benoît van Innis, who previously designed the metro station, and a list of the sixteen victims was unveiled at the third commemorative anniversary next to the mural.Namen van slachtoffers vereeuwigd in metrostation Maalbeek https://www.bruzz.be/samenleving/namen-van-slachtoffers-vereeuwigd-metrostation-maalbeek-2019-03-22 bruzz.be Bruzz 22 March 2019 23 March 2019 nl 16 November 2020 https://web.archive.org/web/20201116163041/https://www.bruzz.be/samenleving/namen-van-slachtoffers-vereeuwigd-metrostation-maalbeek-2019-03-22 live Further reading Books by academics Paul Ponsaers (2017) Jihadi's in België: de route naar Zaventem en Maalbeek. Antwerp: Maklu Uitgevers 9789046608937 Cyrille Fijnaut (2020) De samenhang tussen georganiseerde misdaad en terrorisme en de aanslagen in Parijs en Brussel in 2015-2016. Cambridge and Antwerp: Intersentia 9789400012776 Books by journalists Joanie De Rijke and Tine Gregoor (2021) Bommen in Brussel. Vijf jaar na de aanslagen, 22 maart 2016. Antwerp: Uitgeverij Vrijdag ISBN 946001982X Books by victims Caroline S. Leruth (2017) Attentat Aéroport Bruxelles: Ce que j'ai vu. Annecy Le Vieux: Éditions Kawa 9782367781556 Mohamed El Bachiri (2017) Un jihad de l'amour. Paris: JC Lattès 9782709660839 Walter Benjamin (2018) J'ai vu la mort en face, une vie après l'attentat. Monaco: Éditions du Rocher 9782268099217 Nidhi Chaphekar (2020) Herboren: Hoe ik terugvocht na de terroristische aanslag in Brussel. Tielt: Lannoo 9789401468992 Karen Northshield (2021) Dans le souffle de la bombe. Loverval: Kennes Éditions 9782380753288 Janet Winston-Young (2021) Paris-Bruxelles, au coeur des attentats. Paris: Le Passeur Éditeur 9782368908648 See also August 2017 Brussels attack June 2017 Brussels attack Jewish Museum of Belgium shooting List of Islamist terrorist attacks List of terrorist incidents linked to ISIL Terrorism in the European Union Belgium Notes References 30em External links Explosions at Brussels airport and subway systems collapsed Category:2016 in Brussels Category:2016 in aviation Category:2016 in rail transport Category:2016 murders in Belgium Category:Brussels Airport Category:Brussels Metro Category:City of Brussels Category:History of Zaventem Category:Islamic State terrorist incidents in Belgium Category:Islamic terrorism in Belgium Category:Islamic State terrorist incidents in 2016 Category:Machelen Category:March 2016 crimes in Europe Category:2016 mass murders Category:Steenokkerzeel Category:Suicide bombings in Belgium Category:Terrorist attacks on airports in Europe Category:Terrorist incidents in Belgium in 2016 Category:Terrorist incidents in Brussels Category:Terrorist incidents on subterranean rapid transit Category:Building bombings in Belgium Category:Train bombings in Europe Category:2016 building bombings Category:Suicide bombings in 2016 Category:21st-century mass murders in Belgium Category:Polish people murdered abroad Category:Nail bombings