Belgian court decision paves the way for Palestine Refugee Massacre Prosecutions
James Holland | 14.02.2003 14:35
A court has started proceedings under a 1993 law that allow prosecutions for human rights abuses to be brought in Belgium, no matter where they were committed.
The first case to be investigted is that of the 1982 massacres at the Sabra and Shatilla refugee camps, committed by Israeli forces whilst Ariel Sharon was defence minister. It is also hoped that the Belgian law could be used to prosecute other people suspected of human rights abuses.
Hanny Megally, of Human Rights Watch. said "This decision is a huge victory not only for the victims of the Sabra and Shatilla massacres but for all atrocity victims who have put their hopes in the Belgian justice system,...There is abundant evidence that war crimes and crimes against humanity were committed in the Sabra and Shatilla massacre, but not a single individual has been brought to justice."
Human Rights watch backgrounder on the Belgian “Anti-Atrocity” Law
http://hrw.org/campaigns/icc/belgium-qna.pdf
Hanny Megally, of Human Rights Watch. said "This decision is a huge victory not only for the victims of the Sabra and Shatilla massacres but for all atrocity victims who have put their hopes in the Belgian justice system,...There is abundant evidence that war crimes and crimes against humanity were committed in the Sabra and Shatilla massacre, but not a single individual has been brought to justice."
Human Rights watch backgrounder on the Belgian “Anti-Atrocity” Law
http://hrw.org/campaigns/icc/belgium-qna.pdf
James Holland
e-mail:
james@a16.org.uk
