Hind Rajab Foundation files criminal complaint against Israeli foreign minister ahead of Slovenia visit

The Hind Rajab Foundation (HRF) said on Monday it filed a criminal complaint in Slovenia against Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa'ar over alleged war crimes, acts of genocide and torture in Gaza ahead of his expected visit to Ljubljana this week.

The complaint was filed with the Ljubljana District Prosecutor's Office and police.

Sa'ar is expected to attend the opening of a new Israeli embassy in Ljubljana this week, the HRF said, citing information provided by the Movement for the Rights of Palestinians, a Slovenian social initiative and solidarity group.

The complaint alleges that Sa'ar bears criminal responsibility for several actions during Israel's war in Gaza, including the attack on Kamal Adwan Hospital in northern Gaza between Oct. 8 and Dec. 27, 2024, and the arrest and continued detention of the hospital's director, Dr. Hossam Abu Safiyeh.

The HRF also alleges that Sa'ar was involved in the destruction and occupation of Gaza, the mass displacement of civilians and the restriction of food, water, fuel and medical supplies.

The organization said the complaint invokes Slovenian law and international legal instruments, including the Fourth Geneva Convention, the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court and the UN Convention against Torture.

The filing follows earlier action by HRF concerning Sa'ar, including a communication to the ICC ahead of his visit to Brussels in February 2025 and legal action linked to his visit to London in April 2025.

The non-profit called on Slovenian authorities to investigate the allegations and take steps to ensure Sa'ar cannot use diplomatic status to avoid accountability.

"No official, no matter how senior, stands above the law," HRF Director General Dyab Abou Jahjah said in the statement. He added that the organization was calling on Slovenian authorities to investigate those responsible for what he described as crimes against Palestinians.

Slovenia recently vetoed a joint statement by the EU and its 27 member states condemning Israel's decision to build new illegal settlements in the occupied West Bank.