Argentine rights groups file criminal complaint against Netanyahu ahead of visit

BOGOTA/ISTANBUL

Human rights groups in Argentina have filed a criminal complaint against Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, accusing him of committing genocide, war crimes, and crimes against humanity.

According to local media reports, the complaint was jointly submitted by the Mothers of Plaza de Mayo Founding Line, the Peace and Justice Service (SERPAJ), Families of the Disappeared and Detained for Political Reasons, and the Argentina League for Human Rights.

The organizations alleged that Netanyahu bears responsibility for "genocide, war crimes, and crimes against humanity" and called for judicial action.

According to the criminal complaint, Argentine President Javier Milei will be complicit in this criminal policy during Netanyahu's visit to Argentina from Sept. 7-10

It accused the Israeli government of pursuing a "systematic policy of annihilation" against the Palestinian people, violating fundamental rights including the right to life, human dignity, and self-determination.

"The people of Argentina and its human rights organizations know from experience what mass crimes mean. Since the occupation of Gaza began, tens of thousands of people have been killed by Israeli bombings.

"More than one million have been displaced. The Israeli government has blocked the entry of medicine, food, and humanitarian aid. The blockade imposed by Israel affects all of Gaza," the complaint stated.

The case, filed in Argentina’s criminal courts, has been endorsed by several prominent figures, including Nobel Peace Prize laureate Adolfo Perez Esquivel, as well as representatives of numerous human rights organizations.

This is not the first attempt to hold Netanyahu legally accountable in Argentina.

On Aug. 12, The Association of State Workers (ATE) and the group HIJOS (Children for Identity and Justice Against Oblivion and Silence) submitted a separate complaint to a federal court in Buenos Aires, demanding his arrest on charges of war crimes and genocide against the Palestinian people.