Israeli army sniper in Chile accused of Gaza war crimes could face justice
Al Jazeera
Rom Kovtun’s own social media posts reveal he was holidaying in the country, opening the door to ‘universal jurisdiction’ legal jeopardy.
A Chilean court is considering a criminal complaint against a former Israeli army sniper who served in Gaza during Israel’s more than two-year-long genocide on the coastal enclave and the Palestinian people.
Rom Kovtun’s own social media posts revealed he was holidaying in the country, opening the door to what legal experts call “universal jurisdiction”. Kovtun, an Israeli-Ukrainian, served as a sniper in Israel’s 424th Shaked Battalion in Gaza.
Al Jazeera’s Lucia Newman, reporting from Santiago, said images posted online show Kovtun swimming in a lake in south-central Chile with other former Israeli soldiers.
“His knack for posting leisure and wartime escapades on Instagram is what allowed the Hind Rajab Foundation (HRF) to file a criminal complaint in Chile, accusing him of war crimes, genocide and crimes against humanity,” she added.
The Belgium-based HRF is named after a five-year-old Palestinian girl killed in Gaza in January 2024, and whose case drew global attention to the plight of Palestinians in Gaza.
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