Bush trip to Geneva cancelled

Former US President George W. Bush will not come to Switzerland next weekend after all.

The Jewish organisation that had invited him for a Geneva gala event has cited growing protests as the reason for cancelling his visit.

The group, called Keren Hayesod, said it feared that demonstrations in Geneva could get out of control.

As the organisation’s lawyer told the Tribune de Geneve newspaper on Saturday, the calls for rallies had become more and more serious as various parties sharply criticized Bush’s visit.

Some, including the World Organisation Against Torture, had called on the Swiss government to arrest Bush for war crimes committed in conjunction with the war in Iraq.

However, the justice ministry responded that ex-leaders such as Bush still enjoyed immunity.

The lawyer said that calls for Bush’s arrest were not the reason for the cancellation of his trip. Rather, the important issue was protecting people and property in Geneva.

The organisation said it had invited Bush to celebrate his recently published biography.