Belgium to extradite Moroccan Madrid bomb suspect to Spain

Moroccan Youssef Belhadj suspected of involvement in March 11 attacks in Madrid that claimed the lives of 191 people will be extradited from Belgium to Spain either on Thursday or Friday, announced a spokesman of the Belgian federal prosecutor. The Belgian Court of Cassation confirmed on March 23 a European arrest warrant that Spain issued for the extradition of Belhadj.

Blhadj, 28, suspected to be the spokesman of Al Qaeda in Europe, was arrested on February 1st in Brussels hours after four Moroccans were arrested in Spain.

He was arrested a first time in March 2004 in Belgium part of an investigation on the Moroccan Islamist Combatant Group (GICM) and released by the end of June for "lack of charges," according to the Belgian federal prosecutor.

Youssef Belhadj is a relative of Mimoun Belhadj, arrested in February in Morocco after he was extradited from Syria part of an investigation meant to dismantle terrorist cells.