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Topic: War Crimes Law (Belgium)

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	GI -- World War II Commemoration
		When the outcome of war was regarded to be the judgment of heaven, or the vanquished were regarded as being abandoned by the gods, such doctrines were used as justification for the cruel treatment of the defeated.
		War crimes can be punished, not only by the organs of the country of which the offender is a citizen--for example, a guard who tortures, or a camp commander who orders the torturing of, prisoners of war will in a civilized country be court-martialed by his own authorities--but also by the enemy.
		It is not the civil law of the invaded country; it is not the civil law of the conquering country; it is the law of war.
	www.grolier.com /wwii/wwii_warcrimes.html (4032 words)

	War Crimes Law (Belgium) -- Facts, Info, and Encyclopedia article (Site not responding. Last check: 2007-10-20)
		The law took effect in 1993 and was expanded the following year after 10 Belgian soldiers were killed in (A landlocked republic in central Africa; formerly a German colony) Rwanda.
		What made the Belgian law extraordinary and controversial was that Belgium claimed the right to allow anyone to submit a war crime for prosecution in Belgian courts that occurred anywhere in the world, whether or not on Belgian territory, and whether or not a Belgian national was involved as either criminal or victim.
		The new law also considerably reduces victims' ability to obtain direct access to the courts - unless the accused is Belgian or has his primary residence in Belgium, the decision whether or not to proceed with any complaint rests entirely with the state prosecutor.
	www.absoluteastronomy.com /encyclopedia/w/wa/war_crimes_law_(belgium)1.htm (287 words)

	War crime - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
		War crimes include violations of established protections of the laws of war, but also include failures to adhere to norms of procedure and rules of battle, such as attacking those displaying a flag of truce, or using that same flag as a ruse of war to mount an attack.
		War crimes are sometimes part of instances of mass murder and genocide though these crimes are more broadly covered under international humanitarian law described as crimes against humanity.
		War crimes are significant in international humanitarian law because it is an area where international tribunals such as the Nuremberg Trials have been convened.
	en.wikipedia.org /wiki/War_crime (453 words)

	War crimes Article, Warcrimes Information (Site not responding. Last check: 2007-10-20)
		A war crime is a punishable offense, under international law, for violations of the law of war by any person or persons, military or civilian.
		War crimes are sometimes part of instances of mass murder and genocide though these crimes are more broadly covered under the human rights law described as crimes against humanity.
		War crimes are significant in human rights law because it is an area where international tribunals such as the Nuremberg Trials have been convened.
	www.anoca.org /crime/law/war_crimes.html (353 words)

	War crimes - Hutchinson encyclopedia article about War crimes (Site not responding. Last check: 2007-10-20)
		Offence (such as murder of a civilian or a prisoner of war) that contravenes the internationally accepted laws governing the conduct of wars, particularly the Hague Convention of 1907 and the Geneva Convention of 1949.
		In November 1995 the Bosnian Serb leader Radovan Karadžić and his general Ratko Mladic were charged with genocide and crimes against humanity at the Yugoslav War Crimes Tribunal in The Hague, Netherlands.
		Subsequent wars have had their full measure of crimes, an example being the My Lai massacre (1968) during the Vietnam War, when US troops murdered 200 unarmed civilians.
	encyclopedia.farlex.com /War+crimes (386 words)

	washingtonpost.com: Belgian War Crimes Law Undone by Its Global Reach
		It was an excellent law, but unfortunately it was used in a political way, and at the end of the day, we moved backward rather than forward.
		When it was passed unanimously by Parliament in 1993, Belgium's war crimes law seemed anything but controversial, a mere legislative implementation of the 1949 Geneva Conventions protecting civilians in time of war.
		Human rights activists also believe that the war crimes law hit a nerve with the Bush administration, which has waged a diplomatic campaign against the International Criminal Court, contending that the newly instituted court could issue politically motivated indictments and insisting that Americans be exempt from its jurisdiction.
	www.washingtonpost.com /ac2/wp-dyn/A19835-2003Sep29?language=printer (1745 words)

	Encyclopedia: War crime
		The laws of war (Jus in bello) define the conduct and responsibilities of belligerent nations, neutral nations and individuals engaged in warfare, in relation to each other and to protected persons, usually meaning civilians.
		International Humanitarian Law (IHL), also known as the law of war, the laws and customs of war or the law of armed conflict, is the legal corpus comprised of the Geneva Conventions and the Hague Regulations, as well as subsequent treaties, case law, and customary international law.
		Jump to: navigation, search World War II was a truly global conflict with many facets: immense human suffering, fierce indoctrinations, and the use of new, extremely devastating weapons such as the atom bomb World War II, also known as the Second World War, was a mid-20th-century conflict that...
	www.nationmaster.com /encyclopedia/War-crime (1465 words)

	SignOnSanDiego.com > News > World -- Belgium's Senate approves changes to war-crimes law that outraged Washington
		The new law allows cases to be brought only if the victim or suspect is a Belgian citizen or long-term resident at the time of the alleged crime.
		The law was initiated in response to the Balkan wars and expanded after the 1994 genocide in Rwanda, a former Belgian colony.
		Belgium's supreme court is expected to rule by mid-October on the active cases, but the government expects them to be dismissed.
	www.signonsandiego.com /news/world/20030801-0821-belgium-genocidelaw.html (679 words)

	Belgium amends law to avoid war crimes lawsuit against Bush
		The law allows Belgian courts to try suspects for war crimes, crimes against humanity and genocide, regardless of where the alleged acts took place or the nationality of the accused.
		Critics of the law, including the United States, have warned Belgium that its role as host to international institutions like NATO and the European Union, would be threatened if a war crimes suit were filed against Bush.
		Fears that a war crimes lawsuit over the Iraqi conflict could be brought against the current US president have further strained relations between the United States and Belgium, which has been a fierce critic of the war on Iraq and was at the center of an unprecedented crisis at NATO over the conflict last month.
	www.informationclearinghouse.info /article2433.htm (625 words)

	t r u t h o u t - Belgium Sticks by War Crimes Law Despite U.S. Anger
		The law, which empowers Belgian courts to try foreigners for serious human rights crimes no matter where they were committed, has been criticized by several countries but most vociferously by Washington.
		Belgium had earlier shown signs of buckling after Defense Minister Andre Flahaut said the country's universal jurisdiction law could perhaps be revised for a second time.
		Verhofstadt said on Friday Belgium initiated steps this week to transfer to Israel a probe into the role of an Israeli general, Amos Yaron, in the 1982 massacre of Palestinians in Lebanon, and to transfer the complaints against Bush, Powell and Schwarzkopf.
	www.truthout.org /docs_03/061403G.shtml (582 words)

	Belgium: Universal Jurisdiction Law Repealed (Human Rights Watch Press release, August 1, 2003) (Site not responding. Last check: 2007-10-20)
		Belgium's 1993 universal jurisdiction law, which permitted victims to file complaints in Belgium for atrocities committed abroad, had made Belgium a leader in the struggle for international justice, the groups said.
		The new law also considerably reduces victims' ability to obtain direct access to the courts - unless the accused is Belgian or has his primary residence in Belgium, the decision whether or not to proceed with any complaint rests entirely with the state prosecutor.
		The law adopted today does, however, preserve a limited number of cases that have already begun to move forward, including those concerning the Rwandan genocide and the killing of two Belgian priests in Guatemala, as well as the complaints filed against ex-Chadian dictator Hissène Habré.
	www.hrw.org /press/2003/08/belgium080103.htm (565 words)

	US Threatens to Boycott Belgium Over War Crimes Law -Global Policy Forum - International Justice
		Belgium, a founder member of Nato, has a law giving it jurisdiction to try war crimes, genocide and other crimes against humanity wherever they are committed.
		Belgium opposed the war in Iraq, along with France and Germany, and then joined them in launching a separate EU defence initiative in April.
		The legacy of the Iraq war also surfaced in New York during a vote at the UN security council on a resolution extending for a year a US exemption from the international criminal court, which began work last year.
	www.globalpolicy.org /intljustice/universal/2003/0613belgium.htm (792 words)

	Turks.US Daily News - Belgium Scraps War Crimes Law Which Angered U.S. Daily News
		Belgium said Saturday it has decided to scrap a controversial war crimes law which has seen cases launched against President Bush and Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon.
		Belgium had already taken steps to soften the law, such as allowing cases be forwarded to a defendant's country if the country was democratic and could handle the suit properly.
		Verhofstadt's move is aimed at definitivelyinitively narrowing the scope for war crimes cases with its strict rules on the need for a Belgian or someone resident in the country to file a case.
	www.turks.us /article.php?story=20030713023954131 (667 words)

	Belgium Repeals Controversial War Crimes Law
		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.
	www.rense.com /general39/blg.htm (428 words)

	Carlos Ramos-Mrosovsky on Belgium & War Crimes on NRO
		Belgium's ill-conceived statute failed to bring even one war criminal to justice — though Belgian courts did become the venue of choice for groups seeking indictments against "war criminals" such as Henry Kissinger, Ariel Sharon, Tony Blair, Dick Cheney, Donald Rumsfeld, Tommy Franks, and both of the Presidents Bush.
		Basically, the idea is that certain crimes — war crimes, genocide, crimes against humanity — are so heinous that those responsible should be subject to prosecution anywhere by anyone, regardless of national frontiers and various kinds of diplomatic immunity.
		The new law passed the Belgian parliament's lower house by a margin of 89 to 3 on Tuesday and is expected to pass through the Belgian senate just as easily.
	www.nationalreview.com /nr_comment/nr_comment073103.asp (1120 words)

	Belgium Gives In to US on War Crimes Law (Site not responding. Last check: 2007-10-20)
		Belgium has bowed to US pressure and agreed to limit the scope of its controversial war crimes law.
		In its original format, dating back to 1993, the law allowed virtually anyone to use Belgian courts to bring war crimes charges against virtually anyone else, regardless of where the alleged crimes were committed.
		The universal competence law was first applied against Rwandans implicated in that country's 1994 genocide but has been used since by human rights campaigners, political groups and others to file complaints against international figures.
	www.commondreams.org /cgi-bin/print.cgi?file=/headlines03/0624-07.htm (469 words)

	Belgium Scraps War Crimes Law Which Angered U.S. (Site not responding. Last check: 2007-10-20)
		Verhofstadt's move is aimed at definitively narrowing the scope for war crimes cases with its strict rules on the need for a Belgian or someone resident in the country to file a case.
		TWO Rwandan nuns were jailed yesterday in a landmark Belgian trial for war crimes during the1994 genocide in their central African nation.Sister Gertrude was jailed for 15 years and Sister Maria Kisito for 12 years having been convicted by the jury of most of the counts of murder against them.
		So, it appears, that the government of Belgium violated two key provisions of the very law they were attempting to validate, in order to achieve their all-important goal of an arrest, trial, and conviction, to demonstrate to the world that their new "busybody" law was a law with teeth.
	www.freerepublic.com /focus/f-news/945151/posts (2478 words)

	CNN.com - Belgium's legal trap for world leaders - January 23, 2002
		It is the first step in a unique Belgian legal practice that could result in the arrest of Sharon in connection with the deaths by Christian militias of Palestinian refugees in the Lebanese camps of Sabra and Shatila in 1982.
		Belgium is the only country which allows its courts to prosecute anyone in the world for war crimes, wherever they were committed.
		The first case to be tried under Belgium's war crimes law led to the conviction last month of four Rwandans, including two nuns, for their role in the 1994 genocide that left up to 800,000 compatriots dead.
	archives.cnn.com /2001/WORLD/europe/07/05/belgium.sharon (981 words)

	Belgium Neuters Its International War Crimes Law
		Belgium's political leaders have agreed to neuter the country's war crimes legislation, which gave its courts a claim to jurisdiction over alleged violations of human rights committed anywhere in the world.
		Embarrassed by war crimes charges against Tony Blair and President George W Bush, the Belgian prime minister, Guy Verhofstadt, said parliament would restrict the 10-year-old law to cases in which either the victim or the accused were residents of Belgium.
		While the law had already been modified enough to prevent meaningful prosections of Amercian or allied officials, Washington has seized on the issue to drive home a deeper point and warn Belgium's leaders that they could pay a high price for anti-American posturing.
	www.rense.com /general38/neut.htm (441 words)

	Belgium to Amend Controversial War Crimes Law \| Current Affairs \| Deutsche Welle \| 23.06.2003 (Site not responding. Last check: 2007-10-20)
		The charges, for alleged war abuses in Iraq, have infuriated the Americans and they have voiced their anger in the loudest possible terms, insisting that the law should be abandoned.
		In a major test to recent changes in Belgium's anti-genocide law, which allows foreign cases to be tried in Brussels, a lawyer has filed a war crimes case on behalf of Baghdad residents against two U.S. military leaders.
		Belgium is no longer one of the first addresses for international justice.
	www.dw-world.de /english/0,3367,1430_A_899778_1_A,00.html (798 words)

	CNN.com - Q&A: Belgium's unique law - July 5, 2001
		Belgium wanted Chile's former leader General Augusto Pinochet at the same time he was placed under house arrest in Britain during a visit to the country.
		Belgium is also looking to make further changes to the law.
		The law is still controversial and people are still debating the rights and wrongs of it.
	archives.cnn.com /2001/WORLD/europe/07/05/belgium.kelly (800 words)

	Kosovo & Yugoslavia: Law in Crisis
		A Conversation with the University of Belgrade Law Faculty
		Belgrade law professors answer questions from JURIST readers about the crisis in Kosovo, war crimes, Rambouillet, and the effect of bombing on their personal lives...
		Law students from Belgrade and Pittsburgh talk to each other about the war, their experiences and perspectives, and other matters of common interest...
	jurist.law.pitt.edu /kosovo.htm (3227 words)

	BELGIUM TO SOFTEN WAR CRIMES LAW (Site not responding. Last check: 2007-10-20)
		Belgium is looking to modify a controversial law enabling prosecution of war crimes around the world that should bring an end to the lawsuit against Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon.
		The amendments to the law will be effective retroactively on a series of lawsuits including those against IDF officers, for their involvement in the slaughter at the Sabra and Chatila refugee camps in 1982.
		According to the amendments, the Belgian court will only be permitted to try people suspected of committing war crimes in states that are not democratic and do not grant the right to a fair trial.
	icej.org /cgi-local/view.cgi?type=headline&artid=2003/04/04/744518818 (201 words)

	Belgium: New government to scrap universal war crimes law
		The first act of the new Belgian government was to order the repeal of legislation enabling Belgian courts to hear cases of genocide, war crimes and “crimes against humanity” regardless of where they were committed and irrespective of the nationality of the victims or perpetrators.
		In place of the old law, Verhofstadt said his government would be introducing a new genocide law for cases that only involve Belgians, or where the victim or perpetrator has been living in Belgium for at least three years at the time of the alleged crime.
		Belgium has indeed accepted the same law as other European countries...the law that US might is right.
	www.wsws.org /articles/2003/jul2003/belg-j17_prn.shtml (626 words)

	Worldandnation: Belgium to alter law on war crimes
		Prime Minister Guy Verhofstadt said the law would be amended to make it harder to abuse the statute, under which the first President George Bush, retired Gen. Norman Schwarzkopf, Vice President Dick Cheney and Secretary of State Colin Powell have been the target of lawsuits.
		The law now allows virtually anyone to use Belgian courts to bring war crimes charges against virtually anyone else, regardless of where the supposed crimes were committed.
		Verhofstadt said Sunday that the law would be amended to require that either the defendant or the victim be a Belgian citizen.
	www.sptimes.com /2003/06/23/Worldandnation/Belgium_to_alter_law_.shtml (569 words)

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