Anraat, Frans van fr

Country of proceedings: The Netherlands
Context of crimes: Iran, Iraq
Date: 2005 - present
Keywords: War crimes, chemical weapons

On 23 December 2005, the District Court of The Hague found Dutch businessman, Frans van Anraat, guilty of complicity in being an accessory to violations of the laws and customs of war, but acquitted him of complicity to genocide. He was sentenced to 15 years’ imprisonment. During the 1980s, Van Anraat was Saddam Hussein’s most important supplier of chemicals used for the production of mustard gas. According to the Court, Van Anraat’s involvement in supplying chemicals to Iraq was an essential contribution to the chemical weapons programme of Saddam Hussein’s regime. The Court also found that the chemical attacks during the1980s were committed with the intent of the destruction of the Kurdish peoples in Iraq.

There was insufficient evidence that Van Anraat knew about the genocidal intent of Saddam’s regime – a necessary element for a ‘complicity to genocide’ conviction. He was convicted of complicity to war crimes since his deliveries facilitated the attacks on the Kurdish peoples and made the carrying out of the regime’s ambitions considerably easier.

On 9 May 2007, the Court of Appeals of The Hague found him guilty of repeated complicity in the participation of violations of the laws and customs of war, and sentenced him to 17 years' imprisonment.

Court documents
23-12-2005 - Judgement
09-05-2007 - Appeals Chamber Judgement

Press releases
23-10-2006 Interim Judgement (Dutch)