Belgian court sets June 26 for Sharon ruling

A Brussels appeals court said yesterday it would rule on June 26 whether Belgium has the right to prosecute Israeli leader Ariel Sharon for war crimes over a 1982 massacre of Palestinian refugees. "The decision will be taken on June 26," appeals court spokesman Guy Delvoie told reporters.

He was speaking after lawyers for both sides presented their final arguments.

The hearing followed two rulings in a separate case involving a former Congolese foreign minister, which have thrown in doubt the validity of the 1993 Belgian law.