Prosecutors in Switzerland confirmed on January 19 that during his trip to Davos to attend the World Economic Forum WEF Davos 2024, Israeli President Isaac Herzog was sued for alleged crimes.
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| Israeli President Isaac Herzog speaks at the World Economic Forum (WEF), January 16. (Source: Reuters) |
The Swiss Federal Prosecutor’s Office (BA) has received a complaint against the Israeli head of state. Mr. Herzog has been in Davos since January 18 to defend Israel’s stance on the war in the Gaza Strip.
“The complaint is being investigated in accordance with routine procedures,” BA said in a statement. It is also working with the Swiss Foreign Ministry to “discuss the immunity provisions for the individual concerned.”
It is not yet clear what the complaint is about or who filed it. However, AFP has obtained a statement from an individual believed to be behind the complaint, titled “Legal Action for Crimes Against Humanity”.
The documents show that several individuals have filed complaints with federal prosecutors and with the governments of several states, including Basel, Bern and Zurich. The statement asserts that the plaintiffs are seeking criminal charges in parallel with South Africa’s case at the International Court of Justice (ICJ) in The Hague, Netherlands, accusing Israel of crimes during its offensive against the Gaza Strip.
South Africa has previously asked the UN International Court of Justice (ICJ) to open proceedings against Israel for alleged violations of the 1948 Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide, and asked judges to issue provisional measures to immediately stop military operations in Gaza.
Both South Africa and Israel are among the 152 states party to the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide, and South Africa intends to prove that Israel acted beyond its legitimate self-defense.
The Israeli government has described the complaint as "absurd defamation" and appointed a legal team to defend itself against the allegations.
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