Swiss prosecutors review complaints against Israeli president

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Swiss prosecutors announced on January 22nd that they are reviewing several complaints filed against Israeli President Isaac Herzog, with reports indicating that NGOs have accused him of “incitement to genocide” in Gaza, the New Arab and agencies reports.

The Office of the Attorney General of Switzerland (OAG) confirmed receiving “several criminal complaints” against Herzog, who attended the World Economic Forum in Davos.

In an email sent to AFP, the OAG said, “The criminal complaints are now being examined in accordance with the usual procedure.” It also noted that the office is consulting the Switzerland’s foreign ministry “to examine the question of the immunity of the person concerned.”

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No information about the specific complaints was provided by the OAG.

According to the Swiss Keystone-ATS news agency, one of the complaints was filed by the NGO Legal Action Against Genocide.

The NGO reportedly called for Herzog to be prosecuted “for incitement to genocide and crimes against humanity.” 

It argued that he had played “an active role in the ideological justification of genocide and war crimes in Gaza, by erasing all distinction between the civilian population and combatants.”

Herzog delivered a speech at Davos on January 21st and participated in meetings on the morning of January 22nd, although it was not clear as to whether he was still in Switzerland.

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Complaints were also submitted against Herzog during his attendance at the Davos meeting in 2024. However, as Keystone-ATS reported, the OAG declined to initiate an investigation at that time.

Israeli officials have consistently denied accusations of genocide and war crimes, arguing that Hamas uses civilians as human shields.

The International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants in 2024 for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Defence Minister Yoav Gallant, over alleged war crimes in Gaza.

According to Gaza’s health ministry, Israel’s 15-month military campaign resulted in over 47,000 deaths, the majority of whom were civilians. The UN has deemed these figures credible, and the actual death toll is believed to be much higher due to bodies buried under rubble.

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The New Arab and agencies

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