Former soccer player Nizar Trabelsi, accused of conspiring with Al-Qaeda and Osama Bin Laden, has finally been acquitted after two decades of legal turmoil. In 2003, Trabelsi was convicted in Belgium for planning an attack on US military personnel at the Kleine-Brogel air base. Subsequently, in 2006, he was indicted by a US grand jury, leading to his extradition to the United States in 2013 after completing his Belgian sentence.
The Tunisian national was alleged to have met with Osama Bin Laden before the 9/11 attacks. Despite the European Court of Human Rights ruling against his extradition to the US, it took place. However, on July 14, 2023, a jury in Washington DC unanimously acquitted Trabelsi of three charges: conspiracy, attempting to use a weapon of mass destruction, and conspiracy to kill US nationals abroad.
Trabelsi’s attorney, Sabrina Shroff, praised the verdict, citing an “intelligent and fair jury.” Belgium has been ordered to compensate the 53-year-old €10,000 for each year he spent in a US prison, totaling €100,000. Trabelsi’s future plans and timeline for rebuilding his life remain uncertain.
During his football career, Trabelsi played for various clubs, including Fortuna Dusseldorf, Wuppertal SV, FC Wulfrath, SV 09/35 Wermelskirchen, and VfR Neuss.
