Canadian suspect in Belgian espionage case to remain in pretrial detention

Belgian authorities have decided to prolong the pretrial detention of a Canadian woman facing espionage charges for an additional month. The federal prosecutor's office announced on July 25 that a woman of Chinese origin had been arrested on espionage allegations and participation in a criminal organization. The suspect, who has not been publicly named, worked as an intern at NATO's Supreme Headquarters Allied Powers Europe in Mons, Belgium.

Her arrest was reported to Belgium's military intelligence agency by the organization's security services. Canadian officials are operating under the assumption that the suspect is Biwei Zhang, also known as Claire Zhang, a former employee of Canadian government agencies. The Belgian Chamber of Indictments upheld the decision on August 31, 2026, to keep her in custody for a further month.