Prime Minister Ariel Sharon has Congo\'s Foreign Minister Yerodia Ndmobasi to thank. The International Court of Justice in the Hague ruled yesterday that Ndombasi cannot be tried or even arrested by Belgium for his alleged human-rights crimes, because, as a sitting government minister he is immune from prosecution.
The ruling means that some 20 other world leaders against whom suits are pending in Belgium have essentially no international legal basis. The rulers include Prime Minister Sharon, who was suspected of involvement in the Sabra and Shatila massacres, as well as Fidel Castro, possibly Yasser Arafat, and others. Belgian officials predicted that their country would drop their case against Sharon. Belgium appointed itself a type of guardian of worldwide human rights some years ago with a controversial law giving it jurisdiction over alleged \"crimes against humanity\" anywhere in the world, even if they did not involve Belgian citizens.
The ruling means that some 20 other world leaders against whom suits are pending in Belgium have essentially no international legal basis. The rulers include Prime Minister Sharon, who was suspected of involvement in the Sabra and Shatila massacres, as well as Fidel Castro, possibly Yasser Arafat, and others. Belgian officials predicted that their country would drop their case against Sharon. Belgium appointed itself a type of guardian of worldwide human rights some years ago with a controversial law giving it jurisdiction over alleged \"crimes against humanity\" anywhere in the world, even if they did not involve Belgian citizens.