Canadian suspect in Belgian espionage case to remain in pretrial detention
Belgium’s Chamber of Indictments extended her detention by one month after an appeal hearing in an espionage case tied to NATO security services.
- On Monday, Belgium's Chamber of Indictments extended the pretrial custody of Biwei Zhang, a Canadian intern at NATO's Supreme Headquarters Allied Powers Europe, by one month following an appeal hearing.
- Authorities arrested Zhang on July 24 on charges of espionage and participating in a criminal organization after security services flagged suspicious behavior at the Mons, Belgium facility.
- Criminal law professor Frank Verbruggen at KU Leuven describes the charges as a "test case" for Belgian courts, noting prosecutors frequently use criminal organization charges to justify investigative methods like infiltration.
- Prime Minister Mark Carney confirmed Canadian officials are involved in the investigation, and the House of Commons committee plans to review Canada's security screening processes following the allegations.
- Zhang's trial likely won't begin until next year "at the earliest," according to Verbruggen, while former CSIS intelligence officer Dan Stanton suggests she may have been recruited by a foreign intelligence service.
43 Articles
43 Articles
Belgian Court Extends NATO Spy Suspect's Detention as European Reporting Shows Canada Consented to an Investigation of the Intern It Had Cleared
Ottawa’s involvement consisted of granting Zhang the clearance that placed her inside allied command, and then, months after she drew suspicion, consenting to an investigation, reports say.
Belgian court rejects appeal by a Canadian citizen of Chinese origin suspected of spying for a third country during a six-month internship at the Supreme Headquarters of the NATO Joint Armed Forces in Europe
The Canadian woman suspected of spying at NATO was denied bail and should remain in detention until her trial.
A Canadian citizen, accused of espionage during the time she worked as an intern at NATO, will remain in preventive detention for another 30 days, according to Reuters, the Belgian Federal Prosecutor's Office announced on Monday.
The Belgian Federal Prosecutor's Office announced that a Canadian woman accused of spying would remain in detention.
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