The Dutch public prosecutor¡¯s office has said it won¡¯t pursue a case against tobacco makers Philip Morris International Inc., British American Tobacco PLC, Japan Tobacco International and Imperial Tobacco Benelux, all accused by an anti-smoking lobby group of attempted murder and manslaughter.
¡°A successful prosecution of the tobacco manufacturers ¡ª one resulting in a conviction ¡ª is not possible within the current regulations and parameters,¡± the authority said in a statement. Dutch criminal law attorney Benedicte Ficq in 2016 filed charges with the prosecutor¡¯s office on behalf of lung cancer and respiratory disease patients and the Dutch Youth Smoking Prevention Foundation.
The prosecutor¡¯s office said it doesn¡¯t see ¡°any indication that by offering cigarettes, the tobacco manufacturers have stepped outside the margins prescribed by the legislator.¡±
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