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Press release 24-08-1998 - Foreign Affairs Press Office - The Netherlands

     PRESS RELEASE LOCKERBIE

     Released by Foreign Affairs

     The Cabinet decided today to comply with a
request from the British and American governments to allow the

     two Libyan suspects in the Lockerbie bombing
to be tried in the Netherlands. The trial will be conducted by a

     Scottish court, in accordance with Scottish
law, at a location to be announced later. The government has

     notified the Dutch parliament of its decision.

     It is hoped that this decision will help to
resolve this long-standing problem. The governments of the UK and the

     USA approached the Netherlands some time ago,
since Libya's cooperation depends on the trial being held

     on neutral territory.

     The Netherlands agreed to facilitate the proceedings
for a number of reasons. Firstly, the trial will serve the

     interests of international law, and those
of international peace and security. Secondly, it will make a significant

     contribution to the fight against international
terrorism. Thirdly, it will enhance the Netherlands' standing as a

     centre of international law, given that it
is already the home of the International Court of Justice and the

     International Criminal Tribunal for the former
Yugoslavia and will shortly host the International Criminal Court.

     However, the fact that the government has
agreed in this case does not constitute a precedent for future

     requests of this kind.

     The first step towards making the trial possible
was taken today when the Cabinet gave its consent. The UK

     and the USA will shortly introduce a resolution
in the UN Security Council aimed at allowing the trial to go

     ahead. Once the resolution is adopted, the
UN Secretary-General will seek Libya's assistance, offering in

     return the prospect that sanctions will be
reduced.

     Preparations for the trial itself can then
begin. The Netherlands and the United Kingdom will conclude a

     headquarters agreement of the kind that exists
with the international organisations based in the Netherlands.

     This will lay down the conditions governing
the proceedings and guarantee the inviolability of the premises

     where the trial will take place. The Minister
of Justice will submit a bill to Parliament granting exclusive

     jurisdiction to the Scottish court.

     The headquarters agreement and the Bill will
ensure that the Dutch legal order will remain intact.

     The government has paid particular attention
to the security risks because the proceedings may well last

     several years.