UAE BARQ برق الإمارات – نبضك
Abdullah bin Sultan Al Nuaimi, Minister of Justice of the United Arab Emirates, and Annelies Verlinden, Minister of Justice of the Kingdom of Belgium, held a phone call on 13 July 2025 upon the arrival of a plane carrying three wanted individuals from the UAE to Belgium, including Othman El Ballouti and Giorgi Faes.
The individuals were extradited pursuant to decisions issued by the Dubai Court of Cassation, in accordance with bilateral agreements between the UAE and Belgium on extradition.
The Ministers emphasised that these extraditions reflect a strong and enduring joint commitment to the rule of law, international judicial cooperation, and the fight against transnational organised crime and drugs-related violence. They highlighted the significance of this development as a testament to the deepening legal partnership between the UAE and Belgium, and to their shared determination to ensure that individuals accused of serious crimes are brought to justice.
Minister Verlinden expressed her sincere appreciation to the UAE authorities for their continued efforts and support in advancing mutual legal cooperation. She commended the UAE’s judicial and law enforcement entities for their role throughout the extradition process and acknowledged the UAE’s firm stance in supporting Belgium’s efforts to bring criminals to justice. She also expressed gratitude to the United Arab Emirates for its consistent cooperation and support regarding extradition requests, in line with the agreements signed between the two countries in December 2021, which officially entered into force in November 2022.
Minister Al Nuaimi reaffirmed the United Arab Emirates’ commitment to strengthening bilateral judicial cooperation with Belgium, underlining the importance of international collaboration in tackling transnational crime and ensuring justice is served by enhancing judicial cooperation with the international community.
