Athens’ lawyers file lawsuit for war crimes and genocide in Gaza with Greek participation (20/5/2024)
A lawsuit was filed today, Monday, May 20, 2024, at the Athens Prosecutor’s Office, by six current and former councillors to the Board of Directors of the Athens Bar Association with the “Athens Lawyers’ Alternative Intervention”, regarding the investigation of criminal responsibilities for war crimes and acts of genocide in Gaza Strip by the Israeli Army with the participation of soldiers of Greek origin who serve in its ranks. The lawsuit was delivered to the Prosecutor’s Office of the Supreme Court as well, while its filing was preceded by a hearing of the councillors by the Deputy Prosecutor of the Supreme Court, Mr. I. Provataris.
In their report the lawyers – Giorgos Vlachos, Thanasis Kampagiannis, Eugenia Kouniakis, Dimitris Sarafianos, Angeliki Serafim and Thodoris Symeonidis – draw from video footage that has become public to show the commission of war crimes and crimes of genocide for which the Greek judiciary has criminal jurisdiction due to the participation of Greek perpetrators. This fact has also been reflected in the public use of the Greek flag by uniformed personnel in operations in Gaza. During these operations, as can be seen from videos, photographs, publications, testimonies, etc, the Israeli army exposes civilians (women, children, the elderly, the disabled, as well as the entire unarmed male population it arrests) to inhumane and degrading treatment, torture and illegal violence, while looting without reason civic infrastructure of the occupied area. These actions constitute a violation of the provisions of the Greek Penal Code, Law 3948/2011 (Government Gazette A 71, 5.4.2011) entitled “Adaptation of the provisions of domestic law to the provisions of the Statute of the International Criminal Court ratified by Law 3003 / 2002 (A’ 75)”, as well as international Conventions ratified by Greece (Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide, Geneva Conventions on the Treatment of Prisoners of War, on the Protection of the Civilian Population in Time of War, etc). In the report, the Greek prosecutorial and judicial authorities are requested to investigate in total “the commission of possible criminal acts, according to the provisions of Law 3948/2011, by Greek civilians who participated in the military operations of the Israeli armed forces in the Gaza Strip during the last six months”.
In the event of a criminal prosecution, according to Greek law, the Athens Three Members Criminal Court of Appeal is responsible for adjudicating the offences, while the threatened penalties are at least ten years in prison.
–> Parts of the lawsuit in greek (until a translation is available) can be found here: https://epda.gr/2024/05/20/minysi-gia-egklimata-polemoy-kai-genoktonias-sti-gaza-me-elliniki-symmetochi-katethesan-symvoyloi-tis-epda-stin-eisaggelia/
