(Washington, D.C., Jan. 14, 2021)–B’nai B’rith International President Charles O. Kaufman and CEO Daniel S. Mariaschin have issued the following statement:
 
B’nai B’rith International calls on the Belgian parliament to launch an official inquiry into the failure of law enforcement authorities in the country to successfully conclude their investigation into the 1989 murder of Professor Joseph Wybran, president of B’nai B’rith in Brussels and head of the Jewish community at the time of his murder. We urge a legal change in Brussels to eliminate any statute of limitations for crimes of terror. 

On Dec. 24, 2020, the Brussels indictment chamber declared the criminal case against prime suspect Abdelkader Belliraj and other defendants closed due to the expiration of the statute of limitations. 

Wybran, a Holocaust survivor and renowned immunologist, was gunned down in the parking lot of the Erasme Hospital in Brussels where he worked. 
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B’nai B’rith is determined to pursue justice for Wybran and his widow, Emmy, who serves as president of the Joseph Wybran Lodge in Tel Aviv. 

Belliraj, who confessed to this and five other murders in Belgium, including the killing of the Imam of the Grand Mosque of Brussels, is reportedly under detention in Morocco. 

​We are appalled that 30 years on, there are no charges brought against Wybran’s killer.
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B’nai B’rith International has advocated for global Jewry and championed the cause of human rights since 1843. B’nai B’rith is recognized as a vital voice in promoting Jewish unity and continuity, a staunch defender of the State of Israel, a tireless advocate on behalf of senior citizens and a leader in disaster relief. With a presence around the world, we are the Global Voice of the Jewish Community. Visit bnaibrith.org.