Gaza Genocide18 February, 20263 min read
Chilean Court Reviews Genocide Complaint Accusing Israeli Sniper Rom Kovtun Of War Crimes In Gaza
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Chilean court is reviewing a criminal complaint against former Israeli army sniper Rom Kovtun Hind Rajab Foundation filed a complaint accusing him of war crimes, genocide, crimes against humanity
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Chile probe of alleged crimes
A Chilean court is reviewing a criminal complaint filed by the Brussels-based Hind Rajab Foundation (HRF) that accuses Rom Kovtun, a former Israeli army sniper, of war crimes, genocide and crimes against humanity for actions in Gaza. The complaint reached Chile after Kovtun’s social media posts showed him holidaying in the country, allowing prosecutors to invoke the principle of universal jurisdiction, which lets national courts investigate and prosecute grave international crimes regardless of where they occurred. The case is at an investigative stage in Chilean courts and has not yet proceeded to trial.
“Quick definition — universal jurisdiction: national courts can investigate and prosecute certain grave international crimes (war crimes, genocide, crimes against humanity) regardless of where they occurred or the accused’s nationality.”
Al‑Shifa hospital allegations
The complaint accuses Kovtun of participating in the March–April 2024 siege of al‑Shifa hospital in Gaza. The complaint alleges Israeli forces cut off water, food, medicine and electricity during the siege. It says the siege 'contributed to the deaths of an estimated 500 medical staff and patients.'
PressTV’s account reports survivor and witness allegations that Israeli forces executed civilians, detained and mistreated medical staff, and left hundreds of bodies around the hospital after withdrawing. Attack of the Fanboy similarly reports the complaint claims the hospital was cut off from essentials and that 'hundreds of medical staff and patients reportedly died.' HRF explicitly accuses Kovtun of war crimes, genocide and crimes against humanity in the filings.
HRF complaint in Chile
The HRF built the complaint largely on Kovtun’s own public social‑media posts and other publicly available material posted by Israeli soldiers. It argues that because Kovtun was in Chile prosecutors can use universal jurisdiction to investigate. Attack of the Fanboy notes HRF is named after a Palestinian child killed in Gaza and that its lawyers see little prospect of prosecutions in Israel under Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
“HRF — named for a five‑year‑old Palestinian girl killed in Gaza in January 2024 — relied largely on Kovtun’s own social‑media posts...”
PressTV highlights Chile’s incorporation of the Rome Statute as the legal basis used in the 8th Guarantee Court filing. Observers in the reports warn the legal process will be complex and that similar complaints filed by HRF previously have not produced convictions.
Chile political and legal context
The wider political context in the reporting highlights Chile’s large Palestinian diaspora and strong public sympathy for Palestinians, which sources say has produced a 'chill' toward visiting Israeli soldiers. Attack of the Fanboy explicitly links the complaint to that domestic political climate in Chile; PressTV and Al Jazeera focus on the international legal implications and the invocation of universal jurisdiction and the Rome Statute. Observers quoted in the coverage stress that even where complaints can be filed abroad, prosecutions are legally complex and uncertain.
Chilean HRF complaint overview
Chilean courts are weighing an HRF-filed complaint that invokes universal jurisdiction and is based heavily on publicly posted social media material. The outcome remains uncertain because the case is investigatory and there is no trial or conviction yet.
“The matter is currently being weighed by Chilean courts (investigative stage, not yet a trial).”
Sources differ on detail and emphasis — they agree on the filing and its allegations but vary on casualty figures, tone, and the weight given to survivor testimony versus legal claims. Given those differences and the historical note that HRF's prior complaints 'have not led to convictions so far,' reporting underlines legal uncertainty and the complexity of pursuing accountability across borders.
