HRF Files Formal Complaint Against German-Israeli IDF Soldier, Germany Refuses to Uphold Its Own Laws

Brussels, March 29, 2025 –

Barel Kriel Bombing a civilian car and filming it burn from his tank.
The Hind Rajab Foundation has filed a criminal complaint in Germany against Barel Kriel, a German-Israeli dual national and a tank commander in the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF), for his involvement in serious war crimes committed during Israel’s military assault on Gaza. Despite the visual and testimonial evidence submitted, the German Prosecution has so far refused to open an investigation—failing to apply both German national law and its obligations under international law.
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Kriel served in the 188th Armored Brigade (Barak Brigade) of the IDF, a unit that has been heavily involved in operations in the Gaza Strip. Verified videos and images—many recorded and shared by Kriel himself—show the deliberate targeting of civilian infrastructure, indiscriminate shelling of residential neighborhoods, and the glorification of destruction in urban areas, all of which may constitute war crimes under the Geneva Conventions.

In one video, a civilian vehicle is seen burning in a schoolyard-like setting, targeted by a Merkava tank’s gunnery system. No military threats or combatants are present. Other footage captures Kriel’s unit shelling residential buildings in civilian zones—actions that clearly violate the principles of distinction and proportionality under international humanitarian law.

Germany’s refusal to investigate is even more alarming considering that Barel Kriel holds German citizenship. This fact alone firmly establishes German jurisdiction under its domestic laws, which allow prosecution of German nationals for international crimes committed abroad. Even if Kriel were not a German citizen, his presence on German soil would still trigger Germany’s duty to investigate under the principle of universal jurisdiction, as enshrined in the German Code of Crimes against International Law (VStGB).

“The refusal of the German prosecution to act is a political decision, not a legal one,” said Dyab Abou Jahjah, Chairman of the Hind Rajab Foundation. “Germany has both the jurisdiction and the legal obligation to investigate. By failing to do so, it is signaling that some perpetrators of war crimes enjoy protection—not because of the law, but because of geopolitics.”

Germany’s selective application of international law not only erodes its credibility as a defender of human rights but also emboldens impunity. The principle of universal jurisdiction was established to prevent precisely this type of selective justice, where political interests override legal responsibility.

The Hind Rajab Foundation calls on German civil society, legal experts, and human rights organizations to demand that the German prosecution fulfill its legal obligations. War crimes must not be ignored—regardless of who commits them or where they are committed.
The Hind Rajab Foundation continues to pursue legal action in multiple jurisdictions against individuals implicated in war crimes in Gaza and will not relent until justice is served for the victims