Victims' group files complaint against Arafat

Yasser Arafat has been accused in a Brussels court of crimes against humanity.

Thirty three Israelis and Belgians accuse the Palestinian leader of initiating terrorist attacks.

The plaintiffs claim Palestinian militants were responsible for killing 23 of their relatives and wounding six.

The court is already considering complaints against Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon and other past and present world leaders.

They include Fidel Castro, former Iranian President Hashemi Rafsanjani and Rwandan President Paul Kagame.

They have all been accused under Belgian laws introduced in 1993 and 1999 allowing Belgian courts to try allegations of crimes against humanity wherever they are committed.

The Jerusalem-based Terror Victims Association lodged its complaint "for crimes against humanity and genocide" against Arafat on behalf of 30 Israelis.

Israeli lawyer Jacob Rubin said: "We have evidence that the people who made the attacks were under the direct control of Mr Arafat."

Mr Rubin was joined by a group of 40 supporters and plaintiffs who had come from Israel and Belgium to file the case at the court.

The claims filed with the court include physical torture, genocide and murder.