Letter bomb at Euro parliament

5 January 2004

BRUSSELS – A letter bomb exploded inside the European Parliament building in Brussels on Monday, the latest in a wave of letter bomb attacks on EU personalities and institutions over the end of year holiday period.

The parcel was addressed to German MEP Hans-Gert Poettering, head of the European People’s Party. The device caught fire after a short explosion when it was opened, but no injuries were reported.

It was one of several suspicious packages found inside the building following the Christmas holidays. Up to three other devices were found, and the office of British MEP Jonathan Evans was evacuated as a precautionary measure.

Several European institutions were sent letter bombs over the Christmas period, including one sent to the Bologna home of European Commission President Romano Prodi, as well as Europol and Eurojust offices in the Netherlands.

All of the devices were sent from Bologna – investigators believe a group of Italian anarchists may be responsible for the attacks.

In the meantime, all mail sent from Italy and addressed to European institutions has been blocked.

Subject: Belgian news