Belgian court acquits 31 drug suspects after procedural delays

A Belgian court announced the acquittal of 31 individuals charged in a large-scale drug trafficking case, citing that the trial had been unduly extended, with more than five years of inactivity lacking justification. The magistrate noted that the dossier was neither exceptionally intricate nor impeded by any actions of the accused that could explain the delay. One of the cleared suspects is Dutch national John H., a repeat offender previously convicted for drug-related offenses, who faced a potential 18-year prison sentence.

The public prosecutor had originally demanded cumulative prison terms exceeding 160 years for the group. The decision to overturn the convictions is characterized as a rare judicial move; normally courts would opt for sentence reductions in such circumstances. The prosecution has indicated it will appeal the ruling.