Swiss prosecutors on Friday confirmed that Israeli President Isaac Herzog had been the subject of criminal complaints during his visit to the World Economic Forum in Davos, as Israel finds itself accused of committing war crimes in Gaza.
The criminal complaints will be examined according to the usual procedure,” the Office of the Swiss Attorney General said, adding that it would contact the Swiss foreign ministry to examine the question of immunity of the individual concerned.
The reasons behind the complaints and who filed them were not specified. A spokesperson for Herzog’s office did not comment on the statement by Swiss prosecutors, saying only that Herzog had been to Davos to present Israel’s position on the situation in Gaza.
The AFP news agency obtained a statement allegedly issued by the people behind the complaint, entitled “Legal Action Against Crimes Against Humanity”. It said several unnamed individuals had filed charges with federal prosecutors and with cantonal authorities in Basel, Bern, and Zurich.
The statement said the plaintiffs were seeking a criminal prosecution in parallel to a case brought before the United Nations International Court of Justice (ICJ) by South Africa, which has accused Israel of genocide in its offensive in Gaza.
Herzog said last week there was “nothing more atrocious and preposterous” than the lawsuit filed by South Africa with the International Court of Justice (ICJ) accusing Israel of genocide against Palestinians in Gaza.
In making its case, South Africa named Herzog and other Israeli officials it says have expressed genocidal intent against Palestinians.
