Reuters – 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.
In theory, third countries do not hold criminal jurisdiction over current heads of states, heads of governments and foreign ministers of other countries.
The Office of the Swiss Attorney General would not reveal details about the nature and number of the complaints, nor who had lodged them.
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.
Herzog spoke at the World Economic Forum on Thursday, where he called on the international community to reject genocide allegations against Israel.
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.
The Israeli offensive in the Gaza Strip launched in the wake of a deadly rampage by Hamas militants in southern Israel on Oct. 7 has displaced most of the enclave’s 2.3 million people and caused a grave humanitarian crisis.
