German Chancellor Olaf Scholz is at the forefront of those targeted in the lawsuit (European Archives)
A group of German lawyers announced the filing of a criminal lawsuit - on behalf of Palestinian victims - against senior officials in the German government on charges of supporting genocide in the Gaza Strip.
The lawyers - who represent the families of two Gazans - said in a press conference in the German capital, Berlin, today, Friday, “We are filing a criminal complaint against German government officials on charges of aiding and abetting genocide against the Palestinian people in Gaza by supplying weapons to Israel and issuing the relevant export licenses.” .
The lawsuit was submitted to the Federal Prosecutor's Office in Karlsruhe, southwestern Germany, with support from the Palestinian Institute for Public Diplomacy and the European Legal Support Center.
Nadia Samour, a lawyer specializing in criminal cases, said that filing the lawsuit came after the recent decisions of the International Court of Justice regarding Israeli crimes in Gaza.
She added that the lawsuit was filed against German Chancellor Olaf Schulz and the Ministers of Foreign Affairs, Economy, Finance, Defense and Justice, which are the ministries responsible for granting licenses to send weapons to the Israeli army.
🔴Accountability Now: Palestinians Sue German Government officials for Enabling the Genocide in Gazahttps://t.co/eFDEf8QOYo
🎥Press Conference and Live Stream: Watch the live stream-https://t.co/7bEwYYNecO pic.twitter.com/L9dVAyrkzX
— Law for Palestine |
Law for Palestine (@Law4Palestine) February 23, 2024
For more than 4 months, Israel has been waging a devastating war on Gaza that has left tens of thousands of martyrs and wounded, most of them children and women, in addition to an unprecedented humanitarian catastrophe.
Israel is facing increasing international legal pressure as a result of the war, as it was held accountable for the first time before the International Court of Justice on charges of committing genocide against the Palestinians in a case brought by South Africa.
The court issued a decision on January 26 obligating Israel to take “temporary measures” to protect the Palestinians in Gaza until the content of the case is decided, and also demanded that it comply with the Genocide Convention.
Source: Al Jazeera + Anatolia