Israeli soldiers arrested in Belgium after war crimes complaint by rights groups
Belgian federal police on Sunday arrested two Israeli soldiers facing accusations of war crimes in Gaza following a complaint by two rights groups.
The Federal Prosecutor’s Office on Monday said it received two complaints on Friday and Saturday from the HRF and Glan, concerning “serious violations of international humanitarian law allegedly committed in the Gaza Strip by two members of the Israeli army” who were in Belgium to attend the Tomorrowland festival.
The prosecutor’s office said it has determined that it might have jurisdiction on the case based on the new Article 14/10 of the Preliminary Title of the Code of Criminal Procedure, which entered into force on 28 April 2024. The article grants Belgian courts jurisdiction over crimes committed outside Belgium based on the Geneva Conventions of 1949 and the Convention against Torture of 1984.
“In light of this possible jurisdiction, the Federal Prosecutor’s Office instructed the police to locate the two individuals mentioned in the complaint and to proceed with their questioning. After the interviews, they were released,” it said, adding that no further information will be provided at this stage of the investigation.
The arrests come a day after Belgium’s King Philippe described the situation in Gaza as “a disgrace to humanity”. He said in speech on Sunday that Belgium backs calls by the UN for “an immediate end to this unbearable crisis”.
Belgian judiciary stacking Ws for some reason
What is this supposed to mean?