Suha Arafat, widow of the late Palestinian President Yasser Arafat, formally requested a French investigation into the death of her husband in a French military hospital in 2004.Israeli newspaper Ha’aretz reported that on Tuesday, Mrs. Arafat brought a formal complaint to French authorities on behalf of herself and her daughter. The complaint charges assassination following new questions raised by an investigation done by Al-Jazeera News.
The investigation, in which a Swiss lab detected traces of deadly radiation on the late President’s personal effects, ultimately proved inconclusive and recommended Arafat’s remains be tested. The Palestinian Authority has agreed to do so with the permission of the family.
According to a statement by the family’s French lawyer, Pierre-Olivier Sur, the request was an attempt to “establish the truth, in honor of their husband and father.”
A French judge will decide whether to accept the complaint and open an investigation. So far French authorities have refused to comment about the circumstances of Arafat’s death citing confidentiality laws.
