The body, tied by its hands and feet, was discovered in a city park in Antwerp
Authorities in Antwerp, Belgium, are investigating the death of a Palestinian man found dead in a city park. The man’s body was discovered bound hand and foot, and the cause of death remains undetermined.
A passerby found the body lying near a World War II-era military bunker in the park last Wednesday. The Antwerp Public Prosecutor’s Office estimates the man had been deceased for at least 24 hours before discovery.
It took authorities two days to identify the deceased as a 26-year-old Palestinian refugee who was seeking asylum in Belgium. He had no residency permit and was not known to police.
The autopsy has not revealed a definitive cause of death, leaving investigators open to various possibilities, including murder or a complex suicide.
“The autopsy did not clarify the cause of death, so all leads remain open,” the Prosecutor’s Office spokesperson, Kristof Aerts, told local media on Friday.
Online speculation surrounding the incident has run rampant, with some suggesting the man may have been lynched. However, authorities have urged the public to refrain from spreading such theories and wait for the results of the official investigation.
“I understand that there are a lot of wild stories going around on social media… a judicial investigation has started, with the investigating judge, public prosecutor, lab, forensic doctor and investigators on site,” Aerts The Brussels Times on Wednesday.
Thus far, the authorities have provided no further update on the affair.