Belgium has reportedly thrown out a human rights abuse
lawsuit against China's former president, Jiang Zemin, under the country's
revamped genocide law.
Six members of the outlawed Falun Gong spiritual movement took the case to a
Belgian court, alleging Mr Jiang had put together a plan aimed at eliminating
the group in China.
Reuters news agency quotes one of the six plaintiffs as saying he had been
informed of the decision by the Belgian federal prosecutor to reject the case.
Reuter says the group is considering whether to appeal.
The Jiang Zemin case was the first test of Belgium's law on genocide and crimes
against humanity since the government imposed severe restrictions in August on
how the law can be used.
The Falun Gong movement was banned as an "evil cult" under the then
president Jiang Zemin in 1999 after it mounted a massive protest in Beijing
against the mistreatment of its followers by authorities.