Street riots in Brussels following Moroccan prisoner's death
Morocco-Belgium, Local, 9/27/2006

For the second night in a row, there were severe riots in the streets of Brussels yesterday following the death of a young Moroccan prisoner in a Belgian jail.

Youngsters ran amok in the streets around the Brussels Midi Station and set fire to several cars that were parked in the area. They also threw molotov cocktails at a hospital and caused a fire, according to a Belgian news website Flandersnews.be. Belgian dailies reported Wednesday that police took forty five people into custody Tuesday night.

The immediate cause for the riots was the sudden death of a young Moroccan inmate in the prison of Vorst, a Brussels municipality.

The 25-year old, who was not named, died last weekend after he'd been given a few tranquilizers.

Belgian Justice Minister Laurette Onkelinx visited the deceased man's family on Tuesday.

The riots started on Monday evening following news about the prisoner's death.

Previous Stories:
  'Le Soir' paper 'extremely shocked' to be associated in ethical scandal in Morocco   (6/13/2005)
  Author of death threat against Moroccan employee arrested   (5/5/2005)
  Belgium to extradite Moroccan Madrid bomb suspect to Spain   (4/1/2005)

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