Belgian Justice Minister Vincent Van Quickenborne has announced his resignation following a tragic incident in Brussels. Four days ago, two Swedish football fans were killed by a Tunisian migrant living illegally in the country. Van Quickenborne revealed that Tunisia had requested the extradition of Abdesalem Lassoued in August last year, but the request was not followed up by the magistrate responsible.

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Belgian Justice Minister Vincent van Quickenborne has quit over the case of the Swedish terrorist murders, apologizing to the victims' loved ones.

Turns out Tunisia actually REQUESTED Abdesalam Lassoued's extradition more than a year ago and it was ignored. pic.twitter.com/kyx0QUupnS

— Teri Schultz (@terischultz) October 20, 2023

Describing it as an "individual, monumental, and unacceptable error," the Justice Minister expressed his deep remorse during a news conference. He emphasized that he was not seeking any excuses and believed it was his duty to step down from his position. Van Quickenborne had been dedicated to improving the judicial system and this new information from the prosecutors greatly affected him. The attacker, a 45-year-old man, was fatally shot by the police during an operation on Tuesday. Official documents revealed that Lassoued had applied for asylum in Norway, Sweden, Italy, and Belgium. After his asylum request was rejected in 2020, he remained in Belgium illegally.

In a separate development, French authorities have apprehended a suspect in connection with the Brussels stabbings. The arrest of a man on Thursday in the western Loire-Atlantique region was confirmed by a source closely involved in the case. The incident has raised questions about the handling of extradition requests and the efficiency of the judicial system in Belgium. As the country grapples with the aftermath of this tragic event, Van Quickenborne's resignation highlights the need for further improvements and measures to prevent such catastrophes in the future.