Belgian authorities have arrested a 52-year-old Belgo-Iranian woman and her 26-year-old son in Sint-Truiden in connection with an alleged terrorist threat.
The arrest took place Tuesday at their home in the province of Limburg. Investigators are examining whether the woman made credible threats to carry out a suicide attack during demonstrations against the Iranian regime.
Alleged threat made online
According to investigators and community sources, the woman, identified as Madineh, reportedly expressed during a TikTok live broadcast that she would be willing to detonate an explosive belt during protests held in Europe against the Iranian government.
She is also suspected of encouraging people to report Iranian demonstrators living in Europe, asking for names, photographs, and addresses that could potentially be passed on to Iranian authorities.
Madineh was born in Bandar-e-Anzali, a port city in northern Iran, and reportedly obtained Belgian nationality in 2008.
Judicial investigation opened
Following the arrests, the Limburg Public Prosecutor’s Office requested the appointment of an investigating judge to open a formal inquiry.
The suspects are being investigated for:
- threatening a terrorist attack
- spreading a false terrorist threat
Both remain in custody while the investigating judge decides whether they should be placed in pre-trial detention. Under Belgian law, the judge has 48 hours to make that decision.
Investigation ongoing
The case is being handled by local police in cooperation with the Federal Judicial Police of Belgium, under the supervision of the investigating judge.
Authorities are currently trying to determine whether the alleged statements constituted a real and credible threat or whether they were non-operational threats made online.
The incident has also prompted political reactions in Belgium, with some officials calling for increased vigilance regarding potential foreign influence networks linked to the Iranian regime operating in Europe.
