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Former Israeli prime minister Naftali Bennett faces legal action in Brazil after the Brazil–Palestine Institute (IBRASPAL) submitted an official request to the federal judiciary calling for his arrest during his planned visit to São Paulo yesterday. His visit was scheduled for an event at what is known as the Hebraica Club of São Paulo, a Brazilian-Jewish social and recreational community centre.

The request is based on accusations of war crimes, crimes against humanity, and genocide against Palestinian civilians, particularly in the Gaza Strip.

In an interview with Quds Press, the institute’s president, Ahmed Shahada, said Bennett’s entry into Brazilian territory “opens a clear legal window that allows the state to take judicial action if suspicion of his involvement in serious international crimes is confirmed”. He added that Brazilian legislation, along with the country’s international commitments, gives the federal judiciary the authority to open investigations and pursue such cases.

Shahada explained that “the legal grounds for the arrest request are based on Brazil’s commitment to prosecuting major international crimes under its legislative framework”, noting that the incorporation of the Geneva Conventions and the Rome Statute into national law “allows investigations to be opened against anyone entering the country who is suspected of committing serious crimes”.

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This work by Middle East Monitor is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.