Brussels, July 13: The Belgian government has decided to repeal a controversial war crimes law that has been used in attempts to indict leaders around the world for crimes against humanity, the Belga news agency reported. The "universal competence" law will be withdrawn and replaced with a new text that has considerably less scope and is more in line with other western countries, Prime Minister Guy Verhofstadt told a press conference yesterday.

The 1993 law dragged Belgium into a diplomatic minefield as cases were brought against US President George W Bush and British Prime Minister Tony blair, among others, accusing them of war crimes over the war in Iraq. The existing law gives Belgian courts the right to judge anyone accused of war crimes, crimes against humanity or genocide, regardless of the suspect's country of origin or where the crime took place.

Senior US officials, including Secretary of State Colin Powell, had warned that the law could threaten Belgium's standing as home to international institutions including the European Union and Nato.

A final version of the new text will be drawn up in a week's time after taking advice from the relevant state bodies, Belga said. The law could then be voted on by lawmakers before Parliament breaks for summer recess in early August. The new law will be drastically reduced in scope.

Immunity will be accorded to foreign leaders and a direct link with Belgium must exist before victims can file a legal suit.

Bureau Report