Prisoner caught in northern France nearly 2 months after escaping from Bruges hospital

A 30-year-old prisoner, who escaped from the AZ Sint-Jan hospital in Bruges, Belgium, in early June, has been arrested in northern France. The West Flanders public prosecutor's office confirmed the capture of the Russian inmate, who was serving a sentence for violent robbery.

The escape occurred on Friday, June 5, while the detainee was at the hospital for a medical procedure. He reportedly escaped during a change of clothes, allegedly threatening guards with a sharp object. A judicial investigation was immediately launched, with national and international alerts issued for his capture.

After nearly two months on the run, the man was apprehended around 6 p.m. yesterday by judicial police in Lille, in the French municipality of Englos. The prosecutor's office stated that there was intensive cooperation between various national and international police services. Belgium is now requesting his extradition.

The inmate was serving a 40-month prison sentence for violent robbery, with his original release date set for March 2028. While escaping itself is not a punishable offense in Belgium, he faces potential new charges for the actions committed during his flight.