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France Reportedly Opens Murder Inquiry Into Arafat Death


Yasser Arafat died in a Paris hospital in 2004
Yasser Arafat died in a Paris hospital in 2004
Reports quoting legal sources say a French court has opened a murder inquiry into the 2004 death of Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat, following claims by his wife that he may have been poisoned.

Arafat died in a Paris military hospital in November 2004, a month after being airlifted, from Ramallah when his health collapsed.

He had effectively been confined by Israel to his compound in Ramallah for more than two and a half years.

Last month, Arafat's wife, Suha, asked a Paris court to launch a murder probe following revelations that a Swiss institute had found high levels of the radioactive element polonium-210 on Arafat's clothing.

Based on reporting by Reuters and AFP

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