Giorgia Meloni says she was reported to the ICC for ‘complicity in genocide’

Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni has stated that she has been accused of “complicity in genocide” in a complaint filed with the International Criminal Court (ICC) due to Rome’s support for Tel Aviv.

In an interview with state television RAI, Meloni made her first public statement about the situation, which has not yet been confirmed by the international court.

Meloni stated that Defense Minister Guido Crosetto and Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani have also been “reported,” noting that the court has been formally alerted to a potential crime.

Meloni said she believes Roberto Cingolani, the head of the Italian arms and aerospace company Leonardo, might also be named. The Turkish company Baykar, which produces UAVs and UCAVs, recently formed a partnership with Leonardo.

According to AFP, the complaint, dated October 1, was signed by approximately 50 individuals, including law professors, lawyers, and several public figures, who accuse Meloni and others of complicity by supplying weapons to Israel.

The authors of the petition filed against the Italian leaders state, “By supporting the Israeli government, particularly by supplying deadly weapons, the Italian government has become an accomplice to the genocide committed against the Palestinian people and to extremely serious war crimes and crimes against humanity.”

According to AFP, the Palestinian advocacy group behind the complaint against Meloni is asking the court to consider the possibility of opening a formal investigation into the Italian prime minister on charges of genocide.

Last month, the UN Independent Commission of Inquiry concluded that Israel’s war on Gaza constitutes a genocide, adding to similar assessments by numerous experts in human rights, genocide, and international law.

The ICC has issued arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant on charges of war crimes and crimes against humanity, including starvation, murder, and persecution in Gaza.

The ICC also issued arrest warrants for Hamas officials; however, all those named were killed in Israeli attacks.

In her televised statement regarding the complaint against her, Meloni said, “I don’t think there is another case in the world or in history related to this type of complaint.”

According to data from the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI), Italy was one of only three countries to export “major conventional weapons” to Israel from 2020 to 2024. However, the US and Germany accounted for 99% of exports in the larger weapons category, which includes aircraft, missiles, tanks, and air defense systems.

SIPRI noted that the main weapons Italy supplied to Israel during this period included light helicopters and naval armaments.

SIPRI also added that Italy is one of several countries involved in producing parts for F-35 fighter jets under a US-led program.

In a recent report, SIPRI stated, “Concerns about the possibility of Israel using F-35s to violate international humanitarian law have led to numerous criticisms of the transfer of these aircraft or their parts to Israel.”

Italian Defense Minister Guido Crosetto stated that Italy has only shipped weapons to Israel under contracts signed before October 7, 2023. He also said that Italy has requested assurances from Israel that the weapons will not be used against civilians in Gaza. This follows an earlier claim by Deputy Prime Minister Antonio Tajani that Italy had completely halted arms shipments.