A Belgian prosecutor is trying to open proceedings against Saddam Hussein of Iraq, whose case is also being studied by American officials.

Belgian prosecutors said the raid was due to "very serious evidence that, in a very organised way, youngsters of Kurdish origin were recruited in western Europe, notably in Belgium".

Earlier yesterday, a group representing 14,000 minority shareholders in Europe said it had asked a Belgian prosecutor to demand that the company seek protection in commercial court to avoid bankruptcy.

The Serbian paramilitary leader Arkan has made inquiries about whether he would be safe from arrest if he moved to Belgium, a spokesman for the chief Belgian prosecutor said today.

The report was the first from Mr. Brammertz, a Belgian prosecutor who succeeded Detlev Mehlis of Germany in January.

A spokesman for the Belgian public prosecutor said that the Algerian man arrived recently as a refugee and was granted political asylum.

A Belgian prosecutor said an investigation into Prime Minister Ariel Sharon of Israel for possible crimes against humanity could proceed.

In September 2007, a Belgian prosecutor announced that they had finished an investigation of Scientology and said they would probably bring charges.

So far, a Belgian public prosecutor has said there is no legal obstacle to investigating the complaints against Mr. Sharon, filed by Lebanese and Palestinian survivors from the Sabra and Shatila camps.

"We coordinate and cooperate on around 180 cases," said Michelle Coninsx, a Belgian public prosecutor who has chaired the unofficial meetings.