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Belgian court dismisses lawsuits against Israeli PM, Bush Sr
Brussels, Sept 24: Belgium`s top court today threw out lawsuits against Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon and former US President George Bush filed under a controversial law, court officials said.
Brussels, Sept 24: Belgium's top court today threw out lawsuits against Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon and former US President George Bush filed under a controversial law, court officials said.
The Cour De Cassation, in a ruling which will relieve the Belgian government after a string of embarrassing lawsuits under the law, also dismissed legal action against current US Secretary of State and an Israeli general.
"None of the plaintiffs had Belgian nationality at the time the lawsuits were initiated," said the court, rejecting the suits for crimes against humanity filed under Belgium's so-called "universal competence" law. The 1993 law originally allowed Belgian courts to rule on crimes against humanity regardless of the nationality of the perpetrator or where the crimes took place.
But under severe diplomatic pressure notably from Washington, the Belgian government agreed this year to scrap the law and in August Parliament approved a new, watered-down version requiring that plaintiffs be Belgian nationals.
Sharon was named in a lawsuit alongside Israeli General Amos Yaron over massacres in 1982 of Palestinians at the Sabra and Shatila refugee camps in Lebanon. Another case targetted US leaders at the time of the 1991 Gulf War, including former President Bush and current US Secretary of State Colin Powell.
The Cour De Cassation was ruling on three suits brought under transitory measures that were approved while the universal competence law was being modified.
Bureau Report
"None of the plaintiffs had Belgian nationality at the time the lawsuits were initiated," said the court, rejecting the suits for crimes against humanity filed under Belgium's so-called "universal competence" law. The 1993 law originally allowed Belgian courts to rule on crimes against humanity regardless of the nationality of the perpetrator or where the crimes took place.
But under severe diplomatic pressure notably from Washington, the Belgian government agreed this year to scrap the law and in August Parliament approved a new, watered-down version requiring that plaintiffs be Belgian nationals.
Sharon was named in a lawsuit alongside Israeli General Amos Yaron over massacres in 1982 of Palestinians at the Sabra and Shatila refugee camps in Lebanon. Another case targetted US leaders at the time of the 1991 Gulf War, including former President Bush and current US Secretary of State Colin Powell.
The Cour De Cassation was ruling on three suits brought under transitory measures that were approved while the universal competence law was being modified.
Bureau Report