Belgium government repeals controversial war crimes law

Channel News Asia ^ | July 12, 2003

[HAL9000]

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The "universal competence" law will be withdrawn and replaced with a new text that has considerably less scope and is more in line with other western countries, Prime Minister Guy Verhofstadt told a press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.

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.

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.

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.

[Cicero]

They still haven't backed off far enough. The last compromise didn't work, and neither will this. "Foreign leaders" will be immune. Great. How about foreign ex-leaders, or not-so-important foreigners? How about ordinary U.S. troops?

Having a connection to Belgium doesn't mean much, either. Suppose some Arab comes to Belgium, takes out their equivalent of a green card, and indicts a bunch of Israeli soldiers?

Belgium should understand that as a small nation with a singular history of corruption, they have no unique right to moralize over other people. Just revoke the law, period.

[Support Free Republic]

CHEAP THRILLS - $1 (the first one's free!)
	If every FR member gave a buck a month, we wouldn't need fundraisers. Donate Here By Secure Server Or mail checks to FreeRepublic , LLC PO BOX 9771 FRESNO, CA 93794 or you can use PayPal at Jimrob@psnw.com
STOP BY AND BUMP THE FUNDRAISER THREAD- It is in the breaking news sidebar!

[Batrachian]

What a bunch of cowards. If in their holier-than-thou sanctimony they decided that they can prosecute anyone, anywhere, and for any reason, then they should have expected that some others might resent it. Here the world community (read U.S.) puts a little heat on them and they fold up like a cheap camera.

I guess moralizing and being above everyone else is OK when it doesn't cost anything.