The Brazilian Federal Court ordered its police to investigate an Israeli soldier vacationing in Brazil on account of “war crimes” he allegedly committed in the Gaza Strip, the Hind Rajab Foundation (HRF) announced on Friday.
According to a report by the Brazilian newspaper Metrópoles on Saturday, the decision was issued by Federal Judge Raquel Soares Charelli during a special session last week on Monday.
The soldier has since gotten on a flight and left Brazil, Israeli media reported on Sunday.
The complaint against the Israeli soldier was initially filed by the HRF, an international organization that, on its website mission statement, says is devoted “to breaking the cycle of Israeli impunity.”
The HRF accused the Israeli soldier of “participating in massive demolitions of civilian homes in Gaza during a systematic campaign of destruction.”
“These acts are part of a broader effort to impose unbearable living conditions on Palestinian civilians, constituting genocide and crimes against humanity under international law,” the accusation on the official HRF website added.
The HRF statement also referred to the evidence that it allegedly has against the Israeli soldier.
It said the evidence against him included “video footage, geolocation data, and photographs showing the suspect personally planting explosives and participating in the destruction of entire neighborhoods. These materials prove beyond doubt the suspect’s direct involvement in these heinous acts.”
HRF’s lead lawyer, Maira Pinheiro, also addressed the legal aspect of the case in the HRF statement.
“This is not a case of distant command. This individual actively contributed to the destruction of homes and livelihoods, and his own statements and behavior clearly align with the genocidal objectives in Gaza,” Pinheiro said.
Speaking to Metrópoles newspaper, Pinheiro also said the complaint was based on the Rome Statute, to which Brazil is a signatory.
“Since Brazil is a signatory to the Rome Statute, universal jurisdiction applies within Brazilian territory,” she explained in the report.
“This means that any member country must act to ensure that crimes outlined in the Statute (war crimes, crimes against humanity, and genocide) are investigated and punished,” she added.
“According to the principle of extraterritoriality, provided in Article 7 of the Brazilian Penal Code, Brazil has jurisdiction to investigate crimes committed abroad when they derive from international treaties, and the perpetrator enters Brazilian territory,” Pinheiro explained.
The Metrópoles report also said that there were “more than 500 pages of court documents related to the case,” which it accessed.
According to Israel’s public broadcaster KAN, the soldier’s family noted that the soldier was not being detained and that he was receiving help from relevant actors.
Jerusalem Post Staff contributed to this report.
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