Alleged extremist released for lack of evidence in Belgium

A 24-year-old Syrian suspected of belonging to a radical organisation was released by the investigating judge.

The announcement was made on Tuesday night by RTL-TVI television, Xinhua news agency reported.

Eahya El Aani was intercepted on September 24 last year at Charleroi Airport as he prepared to fly to Norway.

During a police inspection, he was found to be in possession of false passports and several phones and memory cards on which were pictures of abuses by armed groups in Syria as well as messages to a suspected jihadi.

He was placed under arrest by a magistrate in Charleroi.

Upon his arrest, El Aani explained he was studying languages in Syria, and had wanted to find his family in Scandinavia.

According to his statement, he was in possession of the photos in order to show Europeans what was happening in his country of origin, and not for propaganda purposes.

"After seven months of investigation, no other explanation for the photos were found. The commission in Norway confirmed the words of my client," his lawyer Nabil Khoulalene said on Tuesday.

The suspect has been released due to insubstantial evidence to prove any link to a terrorist organisation.

Nevertheless, El Aani remains charged and cannot leave the territory of Belgium.