A court in Belgium has postponed a decision on whether or not the authorities there have the right to prosecute the Israeli Prime Minister, Ariel Sharon, for alleged war crimes committed 20 years ago. The next hearing will be held on 15 May.
The case is being pursued by a group of Palestinians under a law that allows such crimes to be tried in Belgium regardless of where they were committed. The plaintiffs accuse Mr Sharon, who was Israel's defence minister at the time, of responsibility for the massacre of hundreds of Palestinians by Israeli-backed militiamen in two refugee camps in Lebanon.
Sharon was forced to resign his portfolio after an Israeli inquiry found he was "indirectly responsible" for the massacres. He was elected Prime Minister last year, replacing Ehud Barak.
