French national Mehdi Nemmouche, the assailant who killed four people at Brussels Jewish museum in 2014, was put under formal investigation on charges in connection with kidnapping four French journalists in Syria in the 2013-2014 period, the defence lawyer said on Wednesday.

The 32-year-old man was extradited from Brussels earlier this morning at the request of French judges. He appeared before an anti-terrorism magistrate before returning to Belgium where he has been incarcerated.

"He was indicted for kidnapping and confinement in connection with a terrorist enterprise," defense lawyer Francis Vuillemin was quoted as saying by local media.

"It is unlikely that Mehdi Nemmouche will speak during this first appearance because we did not have access to the file," he added.

The French national was believed to be one of the kidnappers of four French journalists who were kidnapped in June 2013 and released 10 months later.

In May 2014, Nemmouche shot dead four people including an Israeli couple at the Jewish Museum in Brussels. Few days after the shooting, he was arrested by French police when he arrived in southern city of Marseille on a bus from Amsterdam.

He joined Islamic State insurgents in Syria in 2012 after serving time in jail over a series of crimes including violent robbery.

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