Belgian jihad suspect accepts extradition

An Algerian man with suspected links to a jihadist cell dismantled by Belgian police has agreed to be extradited from Greece to Brussels.

A 33-year-old Algerian man with suspected links to the jihadist cell dismantled by Belgian security forces last week has agreed to be extradited from Greece, a justice source says.

The suspect "wants to prove his innocence" and a Greek prosecutor has also agreed to meet Belgium's request for the extradition, the source said on Tuesday.

A judge is expected to finalise the procedure by Wednesday.

According to police, the suspect -- who was arrested on Saturday -- had previously served jail time in Greece on a robbery conviction but was released nearly a year ago.

The jihadist cell, which the authorities in Belgium said was plotting to kill police, was dismantled last week in an anti-terror raid in the east of the country that left two suspects dead.

Belgian media have named Abdelhamid Abaaoud, a 27-year-old Belgian of Moroccan descent who remains at large, as the presumed mastermind of the cell.

The foiled attacks in Belgium have led to arrests in several European countries.


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Source: AAP



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