Belgium Police Arrest Key Witness in Bulgarian Student Attack

The Belgium police have arrested a key witness in the vicious attack on a Bulgarian student. Photo by BGNES

The Belgium police have arrested a young man, believed to be a key witness in the vicious attack on a Bulgarian student in the Brussels metro.

Lyuben, an international law student at The Hague, had been in Brussels for an internship with the European Commission. On the night of the incident he had been with a friend inside the metro station, after the two did not make it on time to see the New Year’s Eve fireworks in downtown Brussels and decided to go home.

The young man had a camera on him and took pictures of the metro station. A group of other youth stirred a scandal because they did not want their picture taken. Lyuben apologized and showed them that he had deleted the pictures. Nevertheless he had been attacked and severely beaten. He lost consciousness and the group fled.

His friend tried to call a cab, but meanwhile another group, seemingly of African nationals, approached them and began beating Lyuben again. The perpetrators threw him over the railing to the train tracks and left. The young man survived due to alert passengers, who were able to pull him out moments before a train arrived at the station.

On the request of the police, the vicious attack, videotaped by a subway security camera at the “Porte de Namur” station, was aired by all TV channels in Belgium and send shock waves of anger and indignation. Calls were made for witnesses of the incident to come forward.

The detained youth is unemployed and had been sought by the police on a number of other charges, but after a computer check, the authorities found out he could prove a crucial lead in Lyuben’s case. Police reiterate the detainee is still only considered a witness and charges might be filed pending an interrogation. They also remind two groups have been involved in the attack. The current charges are against an unknown perpetrator.

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