Israeli general 'can be tried'

Hundreds died in the refugee camp massacres

A Belgian court has ruled that a case brought against an Israeli general for crimes against humanity can go ahead.

Twenty-three survivors of the 1982 massacres at Sabra and Shatila refugee camps in Lebanon filed the lawsuit against General Amos Yaron, responsible at the time for the Beirut sector of the Israeli defence ministry.

The so-called "universal competence" law under which the case was brought allows Belgian courts to prosecute people with no direct link to Belgium, for crimes with no direct link.

Israel will no longer take part in this lawsuit, which is becoming a political issue

Irit Kahn
Israeli justice ministry

Ariel Sharon - current Israeli prime minister, and defence minister at the time of the massacres - was also named in the original lawsuit, causing Israeli outrage at Belgian "interference". Israel temporarily recalled its ambassador to Brussels.

The law was amended in early April under intense pressure from the US and Israel to allow Belgium to refer accused foreigners to courts in their country of origin if they were democracies with a fair judicial record.

But this time, the court ruled there was no reason not to allow the case to proceed.

Three-day killing spree

On 16 September 1982 Lebanese Christian militiamen went into Sabra and Shatila refugee camps, bent on revenging the assassination of their leader Bashir Gemayel.

Three days later, hundreds, possibly thousands of civilians inside were dead.

It was during the Israeli invasion of Lebanon, and Israeli forces had encircled the area.

General Yaron is now director-general at the Israeli defence ministry. If a judge decides to press charges, technically he could be arrested to stand trial if he enters Belgium.

Last month the Israeli justice ministry said it would boycott the suit against General Yaron.

"We have announced in a letter that enough was enough, that the game was over and that Israel will no longer take part in this lawsuit, which is becoming a political issue," Irit Kahn, in charge of international affairs at the chief prosecutor's office, was quoted as saying by AFP news agency.

'Discrimination'

She cited an earlier decision to allow US courts to handle lawsuits filed in Belgium against former US President George Bush and Secretary of State Colin Powell for their roles in the 1991 Gulf War.

"Belgian justice has accepted to transfer these cases to the United States but are continuing their lawsuit against Amos Yaron.

"We have no reason to tolerate such discrimination."

In 1994, one year after the universal competence law took effect, four Rwandans were convicted for up to 20 years by a Brussels court for their role in the 1994 genocide.