BRUSSELS/BEIRUT (23 January 2003)--On Wednesday, 22 January 2003, the Justice Commission of the Belgian Senate voted in favour of the Interpretative Bill on Universal Jurisdiction. [For an explanation of this bill, see http:// www.merip.org/mero/mero073002.html ] The Bill will now proceed to both chambers of the Parliament.
The adoption of the Interpretative Bill will enable the Belgian judiciary to relaunch an investigation into war crimes and crimes against humanity committed in the course of the 1982 Sabra and Shatila massacre in Beirut, Lebanon. A second Bill incorporates the 14 February 2002 ruling of the International Court of Justice in The Hague reconfirming the immunity of sitting heads of state and government into existing Belgian legislation concerning Universal Jurisdiction.
The vote for the Interpretative Bill in the Senate is the fruit of a broad-based and energetic campaign launched by a coalition of non-governmental organisations, among them Human Rights Watch, Amnesty International, the Federation Internationale des Droits de l'Homme and Avocats sans Frontieres. This campaign aimed at preserving and strengthening the effectiveness of Universal Jurisdiction to counter the continued impunity enjoyed by perpetrators of the most heinous crimes. The campaign, and yesterday's vote in favour of the Interpretative Bill, express and confirm the Belgian public's support for our contention throughout the various stages of the case lodged against Ariel Sharon, Amos Yaron, and other Israelis and Lebanese that "the accused need not be on Belgian soil" for prosecution to proceed.
Our clients, survivors of the 1982 massacre at Sabra and Shatila, welcome the adoption of the Interpretative Bill by the Senate Justice Commission, which confirms our argument that, in its ruling of 26 June 2002, the Brussels Court of Appeals unduly constrained the will of the Parliament and contradicted the IV Geneva Conventions.
The Sabra and Shatila plaintiffs' next appointment with universal justice will take place on 12 February in the Belgian Court of Cassation (Belgium's Supreme Court). The victims and survivors of the Sabra and Shatila massacre join the victims and survivors of crimes against humanity everywhere in their belief that the Supreme Court will confirm, in its forthcoming ruling, the clear understanding expressed yesterday by the Belgian legislature.
Our clients will see their long search for justice addressed fully in a neutral court.
Brussels/Beirut, 23 January 2003
Chibli MALLAT, Michael VERHAEGHE, Luc WALLEYN
[The Case Against The Accused]
Dr. Laurie King-Irani is North American Coordinator of International Campaign for Justice for the Victims of Sabra & Shatila. For media queries, write to coordinator@indictsharon.net. For website queries, write to webmaster@indictsharon.net.
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