The Supreme Court in The Hague has confirmed the conviction of Dutch businessman Frans van Anraat for complicity in war crimes. His sentence, however, has been slightly reduced, because the appeal at the Court took so long. Instead of 17 years, Mr Van Anraat will have to serve 16.5 years.

In the 1980s, Frans van Anraat sold components of mustard gas to Saddam Hussein's regime. The Iraqi dictator later used mustard gas against the Kurdish population in Northern Iraq. The gas was also used in  Iraq's war with Iran.

The Supreme Court upheld a lower court's decision not to award damages to victims. Dealing with the demands was deemed too complex.