JALANDHAR: Several hundred Sikhs protested in Leuven, Belgium in front of the Central Library where urban development minister Kamal Nath attended the 5th EuroIndia Summit on Thursday.
The protestors were demanding that Nath be prosecuted under Belgium's law for his alleged role in 1984 anti-Sikh riots in Delhi. The protest rally was organized by Sikh organization of Europe, including Sikh Council of Belgium and management committees of European Gurudwaras.
Hundreds of Sikhs converged from UK, Italy, Holland, Germany and other parts of Europe to protest against him.
Human rights body 'Sikhs For Justice' (SFJ), which is also spearheading a legal battle against Nath in a US Federal Court, has announced that as Belgian government has not initiated criminal proceedings they would start a private prosecution against him in a Belgian court.
Gurpatwant Singh Pannun, legal advisor to SFJ said that through private prosecution they would force the Belgian government to take a stand against Nath.
Earlier SFJ had written to Belgian Prime Minister to deny entry to Nath and to initiate a criminal prosecution against him for his role in genocide. The Belgium's law provides "extra territorial jurisdiction" to criminally prosecute individuals for crimes against humanity and genocide committed outside Belgium. "Belgium law of extra territorial jurisdiction does not provide immunity to any head of the states or dignitaries. Under this law, criminal prosecution was initiated against Ariel Sharon, former Prime Minister of Israel for his role in the 1982 Sabra-Shatila massacre in Lebanon," SFJ's Pannun had argued.
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/...amal-Nath-in-Belgium/articleshow/10350273.cms
Related thread
http://www.sikhsiyasat.net/2011/10/14/kamal-nath’s-presence-in-belgium-draws-protest-from-sikhs/
The protestors were demanding that Nath be prosecuted under Belgium's law for his alleged role in 1984 anti-Sikh riots in Delhi. The protest rally was organized by Sikh organization of Europe, including Sikh Council of Belgium and management committees of European Gurudwaras.
Hundreds of Sikhs converged from UK, Italy, Holland, Germany and other parts of Europe to protest against him.
Human rights body 'Sikhs For Justice' (SFJ), which is also spearheading a legal battle against Nath in a US Federal Court, has announced that as Belgian government has not initiated criminal proceedings they would start a private prosecution against him in a Belgian court.
Gurpatwant Singh Pannun, legal advisor to SFJ said that through private prosecution they would force the Belgian government to take a stand against Nath.
Earlier SFJ had written to Belgian Prime Minister to deny entry to Nath and to initiate a criminal prosecution against him for his role in genocide. The Belgium's law provides "extra territorial jurisdiction" to criminally prosecute individuals for crimes against humanity and genocide committed outside Belgium. "Belgium law of extra territorial jurisdiction does not provide immunity to any head of the states or dignitaries. Under this law, criminal prosecution was initiated against Ariel Sharon, former Prime Minister of Israel for his role in the 1982 Sabra-Shatila massacre in Lebanon," SFJ's Pannun had argued.
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/...amal-Nath-in-Belgium/articleshow/10350273.cms
Related thread
http://www.sikhsiyasat.net/2011/10/14/kamal-nath’s-presence-in-belgium-draws-protest-from-sikhs/