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| Europe | |
| Belgian Minister Sued Under Own Human Rights Law | |
| 2003-06-20 | |
| Edited for topic: Belgian Foreign Minister Louis Michel became the latest public figure to fall foul of his country's controversial human rights law on Friday when an opposition party said it was filing a suit against him. Snicker Michel, Belgium's outspoken foreign minister who sharply criticized the U.S.-led invasion of Iraq, stands accused by a small opposition party for approving arms shipments to Nepal. Bart De Wever, a party official for the Flemish nationalist party NVA, told VRT radio the suit targeted "Louis Michel's own hypocrisy as his policy decisions run counter to human rights." Michel last year approved the sale of 5,500 machineguns to conflict-torn Nepal. The deal was criticized because Belgian law bans arms exports to countries engaged in civil war. Oops! Michel said Belgium was a laughing stock because of the law. "This is so mad, ridiculous, irrational and malign," he told reporters at a summit of European Union leaders in Greece. "Belgium is being ridiculed on the international stage and people who are following this type of strategy...don't give a damn about the national interests of our country," he added. The man found a clue.
Whoever you are, thank you. | |
| Posted by:Steve |
| #15 James Taranto - Best of the Web: Perhaps now Belgium will join the U.S. in seeking to move the headquarters of NATO out of Brussels, lest Belgian officials be harassed by Belgian courts while in Belgium on NATO business |
| Posted by: Frank G 2003-06-20 19:24:19 |
| #14 Was that prosecute the violators or violate the prosecutors? I simply can't remember. |
| Posted by: Anomalous 2003-06-20 17:07:25 |
| #13 One word: Congo. Any individual who was present in the country, worked in the colonnial administration or fought for the government should be subject to prosecution. (Remember there is no statute of limitations for "Crimes Against Humanity") This should snare enough of those sanctimonious bastards in a legal dragnet that the government will be forced to abandon the law. |
| Posted by: Angry Federalist 2003-06-20 15:40:18 |
| #12 Maybe we should offer him asylum? ;-) |
| Posted by: Hodadenon 2003-06-20 14:32:54 |
| #11 It was only a matter of time. The shitheads have finally realized someone could actually use it against them, the noble Belgians? Hey, wait a second.... |
| Posted by: tu3031 2003-06-20 14:19:00 |
| #10 Find out who filed the lawsuit and send them a candygram. |
| Posted by: mhw 2003-06-20 14:03:30 |
| #9 The rat bites itself in the ass. |
| Posted by: Alaska Paul 2003-06-20 13:59:17 |
| #8 This is priceless. |
| Posted by: PD 2003-06-20 13:52:09 |
| #7 Well, they can turn the case over to the Belgian gov't for prosecutionm, assuming it's a stable democracy with a functional judicial system.....oops! |
| Posted by: Frank G 2003-06-20 13:43:54 |
| #6 God is an Iron. -- Spider Robinson |
| Posted by: mojo 2003-06-20 13:24:16 |
| #5 Nice that they can mention that this was an opposition party that filed the suit, but when it's an American politician, they can't. As far as suckscock goes, I think we should get some Iraqis to file against him for delaying their liberation, which led to many deaths, and mucho mucho suffering. |
| Posted by: Mike N. 2003-06-20 13:22:38 |
| #4 ROTFLMAO! Now, what about |
| Posted by: Ri'Neref 2003-06-20 13:14:32 |
| #3 The rat bites itself in the ass. |
| Posted by: Alaska Paul 6/20/2003 1:59:17 PM |
| #2 Well, they can turn the case over to the Belgian gov't for prosecutionm, assuming it's a stable democracy with a functional judicial system.....oops! |
| Posted by: Frank G 6/20/2003 1:43:54 PM |
| #1 ROTFLMAO! Now, what about |
| Posted by: Ri'Neref 6/20/2003 1:14:32 PM |