The next chapter in a spy scandal that has rocked NATO unfolded in Belgium on Monday, when an individual sitting at the centre of an espionage investigation was refused pre-trial release.
The Belgian Federal Prosecutor’s Office announced on Monday that an individual accused of spying for a third country — a Canadian national of Chinese origin — would remain in pre-trial detention.
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The Belgian Indictments Chamber rejected the woman's appeal during a closed-door hearing and extended her pre-trial detention by one month, a spokesperson for the Federal Prosecutor’s Office told Euronews.
Belgian authorities announced in July that they had arrested an individual accused of spying for a third country and belonging to a criminal organisation, ordering that she remain behind bars ahead of a trial.
It followed a police raid on her apartment in the Belgian city of Mons and her office at NATO’s Supreme Headquarters Allied Powers Europe (SHAPE).
It has not been confirmed which country she was allegedly spying for or what information she is accused of obtaining, but questions remain over the impact the incident will have on NATO's operations as well as on European security.
The spokesperson for the Federal Prosecutor’s Office said the investigation was ongoing, with no trial date set.
The individual — identified by Reuters as a woman in her thirties called Claire Z — is alleged to have carried out the espionage activities while completing a six-month internship at SHAPE.
SHAPE is where political decisions made in Brussels by NATO ambassadors and other officials are translated into military action by the Alliance’s military leadership.
A SHAPE spokesperson previously told Euronews in a statement that there was “no indication” the alleged activity had disrupted NATO’s military operations.
Candidates for the internship programme are generally required to obtain an appropriate security clearance from their national authorities before they can take part.
Euronews previously contacted the office of Canada’s foreign affairs minister to clarify whether their authorities had cooperated with their Belgian counterparts in the investigation. No response was received.
Canada's Public Safety Minister Gary Anandasangaree said when the initial news broke that they were committed to "get to the bottom" of the arrest and to ensure it does not occur again.
“As a country, we will continue to investigate the processes we have and the security screening," he said.