First day of Sky ECC criminal organization trial after decryption of its messaging systems
epa11035535 A lawyer sits in front of the investigation and evidence files in the courtroom on the first day of the Sky ECC vast criminal organization trial after the decryption of its messaging systems in Brussels, Belgium, 18 December 2023. 129 defendants, 40 in custody, will appear in front of the judge for their participation in a criminal organization, drug and arms trafficking, attempted extortion, arbitrary detention and false imprisonment. They were charged at the end of the vast Sky ECC investigation, named after the encrypted messaging system used extensively by criminal gangs and uncovered by the Belgian police in 2021. EPA/OLIVIER MATTHYS
