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German lawyers file complaint against Merz, officials for ‘aiding and abetting Gaza genocide’ In the over 100-page-long criminal complaint, the lawyers provide what they say is extensive evidence for the crime of genocide, crimes against humanity, and war crimes committed by Israel. German Chancellor Friedrich Merz speaks during the Italy–Germany Business Forum at the Grand Hotel Parco dei Principi, in Rome, Italy, January 23, 2026. (photo credit: REUTERS/Matteo Minnella TPX IMAGES OF THE DAY) ByMATHILDA HELLER APRIL 14, 2026 14:23 Updated: APRIL 14, 2026 16:36 German lawyers have filed a criminal complaint against German Chancellor Friedrich Merz and 10 other officials over their alleged “aiding and abetting [of] Israel’s genocide in Gaza.” A collective of lawyers in Berlin, with the support of the European Legal Support Center (ELSC), Palestine Institute for Public Diplomacy (PIPD), and Law for Palestine, filed the complaint at the Office of the Generalbundesanwaltschaft (“federal prosecutor”) in Karlsruhe. The complaint also targets several former ministers, namely: former federal chancellor Olaf Scholz, former federal minister for foreign affairs Annalena Baerbock, and former minister for economic affairs and climate protection Robert Habeck. Along with Merz, the current ministers mentioned are Federal Minister for Foreign Affairs Johann Wadephul, Federal Minister for Economic Affairs and Energy Katherina Reiche, and Federal Minister of Defense Boris Pistorius. Additionally, Rolls-Royce Solutions GmbH CEO Jörg Stratmann, Dynamit Nobel Defense GmbH CEO Michael Humbek, and current and former CEOs of RENK Group AG, Alexander Sagel and Susanne Wiegand. In the over 100-page-long criminal complaint, the lawyers provide what they say is extensive evidence for the crime of genocide, crimes against humanity, and war crimes committed by Israel. The legal complaint also provides extensive evidence for German officials aiding and abetting acts of genocide via approval of arms deliveries.” Germany is the second-largest supplier of arms to Israel after the US. The German government issued export licenses worth over €485 million between October 7, 2023, and May 12, 2025. The government then suspended new arms licenses in August 2025, resuming them in November 2025. The criminal complaint says that several German-provided weapon systems were used by the IDF in Gaza, such as combat drones (Heron TP), warships (Sa’ar 6-class corvette), and various kinds of ammunition (including 120 mm tank ammunition) and mechanical parts. “The weapon deliveries were approved with full awareness that the weapons were enabling crimes against the Palestinian people,” the complainants said. They argue that CEOs of companies that supply weapons are not exempt from their responsibility under international criminal law by virtue of a government export license. ELSC Senior Legal Officer Nadija Samour said, “Officials in the German Government have openly and repeatedly boasted about their unconditional and unlimited support for Israel. Given the undeniable, genocidal consequences of this support, we seek to hold them accountable.” Lawyer Benjamin Düsberg, from the Berlin lawyers’ collective, called on the German Federal Public Prosecutor to open an investigation, demanding that the prosecutor respect the UN Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide and initiate investigations on potential crimes if sufficient grounds for suspicion are apparent. “Otherwise, Germany is effectively admitting that its federal prosecution system employs double standards and undermines the purpose of the office,” he said. ‘Never Again must be Never Again for everyone’ One of the plaintiffs is Dr. Qassem Massri, a Gaza-born German pediatrician. He said: “I lost many family members, childhood friends, and colleagues in the process of this horrendous genocide that Germany supported with weapons and rhetoric.” “Today we are submitting this complaint, demanding the German government fulfill its historical responsibility because Never Again must be Never Again for everyone.” A previous appeal by the lawyers’ collective to enforce an immediate ban on weapons deliveries to Israel was rejected by the Administrative Court of Berlin in June 2024. That court dismissed the application on the grounds that the Federal Government claimed it had not approved any more weapons to Israel since February 2024, and, therefore, there was no reason for a ban. The lawyers disputed this, saying their clients did not trust the Federal Government to fulfill its obligations under international law. https://www.jpost.com/diaspora/antisemitism/article-892968 #Gaza #Palestine #genocide #Merz #Germany #Israel @palestine @palestine@fedibird.com