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| Israel-Palestine-Jordan | |
| Netherlands: Rights group demands arrest of Israeli on torture claims | |
| 2008-10-08 | |
| (AKI) - A Palestinian human rights group has complained to the Dutch government about its failure to arrest an Israeli minister to face torture charges in The Netherlands. Media reports on Tuesday claimed that the Netherlands declared Ami Ayalon, former chief of Israel's spy agency Shin Bet, persona non-grata and advised him to leave the country when he was there in May. He is said to have escaped arrest in The Netherlands after a case was filed against him by a Palestinian man who claimed he was tortured in Israel. Ayalon, minister without portfolio, was the head of Israel's security service, Shin Bet, when Palestinian Khalid al-Shami was allegedly tortured and held for 50 days in an Israeli jail in 2000. Israeli and Palestinian media reports said secret talks had taken place during Ayalon's visit between Dutch and Israeli authorities that averted the arrest of Ayalon. "I think it was politically motivated, and that is why we are complaining," said Raji Sourani, lawyer and director of the Palestinian Center for Human Rights in an interview with Adnkronos International (AKI). "The rule of law was not applied in this specific case."
"The Dutch government informed the Israelis in case Ayalon comes back, he will face arrest and is persona non-grata," said Sourani. Before Ayalon arrived in The Netherlands to attend a conference marking Israel's 60th anniversary, the PCHR approached the Dutch courts through an Amsterdam law firm asking for an arrest warrant, said Palestinian news agency Maan. | |
| Posted by:Fred |
| #3 Europe. |
| Posted by: g(r)omgoru 2008-10-08 10:08 |
| #2 "Universal jurisdiction." Nie weer nie. |
| Posted by: Besoeker 2008-10-08 09:35 |
| #1 May want to consider telling the Dutch to stick it in their arse. |
| Posted by: bigjim-ky 2008-10-08 08:48 |