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http://www.abc.net.au/news/justin/nat/newsnat-19nov2001-96.htm
Sharon
summonsed to face war crimes in Belgium
A
BELGIAN court has summoned Israeli Prime Minister
Ariel Sharon to appear in court later this month over his role in the 1982 massacre of
Palestinian refugees in Lebanon.
The civil complaint was brought by 23 victims of the massacres or their families under a 1993
Belgian law.
The law allows war crimes, crimes against humanity and genocide to be tried in Belgian courts, regardless of where they took place or the nationality or residence of the victims or the accused.
An estimated 800 to 1,500 Palestinian refugees died in the Sabra and Shatila camps, massacred by
Christian militiamen after Israel’s invasion of
Lebanon in 1982.
Mr Sharon was Israel’s defence minister at the time.
He was forced to resign from the post after a
1983 Israeli investigation found him indirectly but
“personally” responsible for the deaths.
Israeli government officials say they had no knowledge of the existence of a summons.
The Belgian grand jury will decide on November
28 whether its courts have jurisdiction in the case.
[See also the BBC
news item on this]