ICJP submits complaint in Romania calling for arrest of Israel soldier over Gaza war crimes

The International Centre of Justice for Palestinians (ICJP) has submitted a criminal complaint to Romanian authorities calling for an investigation to be launched and the arrest of an Israeli soldier currently in Romania who took part in Israel’s genocide in Gaza and who is suspected of committing actions which may constitute war crimes under Romanian and international law, Quds News Network reported.

The complaint was filed by the ICJP yesterday in coordination with a local Romanian legal team, as part of its Global 195 initiative.

The ICJP submitted evidence of the named suspect, including a photograph of them in Gaza alongside another soldier who was wearing clothing belonging to Palestinian civilians.

The legal group said that the soldier took part in Israel’s assault on Gaza which may constitute war crimes under Romanian and international law.

The submission referred to the International Criminal Court’s (ICC) arrest warrants issued for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his former Defence Minister Yoav Gallant and urged Romanian authorities to act in accordance with their obligations under the Rome Statute, which Romania has ratified. It also referenced the Romanian Criminal Code’s provisions on war crimes and crimes against humanity.

Under domestic and international law, if a suspected war criminal is on Romanian soil, the country’s legal system must respond, ICJP said. ICJP’s legal team requested Romanian police detain the soldier, seize their electronic devices for forensic examination and initiate a full criminal investigation.

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“No one who commits international crimes should be able to travel the world with impunity,” said Tayab Ali, director of ICJP. “Romania now has a legal and moral duty to act. War crimes must be met with justice.”

Lawyers launched the Global 195 last week to pursue legal action around the world against Israelis and Israeli dual nationals accused of involvement in suspected war crimes in Gaza.

At the launch event in London, the ICJP said the Global 195 initiative would seek to use domestic and international legal mechanisms to seek justice against Israeli soldiers and others “spanning the entire Israeli military and political chain of command”.

“Under international law, states have a duty to investigate and prosecute war crimes, yet these obligations have been systematically neglected. The launch of Global 195 is a necessary legal intervention to remedy this failure,” Ali said at the launch.

The 195 figure refers to the number of countries under the jurisdiction of international criminal law.

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