The court case started in the UK for Israel’s attack on Mavi Marmara flagship and other ships in the humanitarian aid flotilla at international waters on 31st May 2010.

British citizen humanitarian activists at Mavi Marmara started the legal procedure following the correspondence with the attorney general’s office and filing a complaint at London Police Department. According to the British jurisdiction the attack and related crimes are classified under war crimes. Therefore Private Operations Department’s SO15 War Crimes team is investigating the case. The lawyers of British humanitarian activists note that they are pleading for the trial of Israeli soldiers in the UK.

For now, the case is about the prosecution of 5 generals namely Israeli Chief of General Staff Corps Commander Gabriel Ashkenazi, Chief of Naval Forces Vice Admiral Eliezer Marom, Air Forces Ingelligence Officer Brigadier General Avishai Levi, Chief of Israeli Intelligence Major General Amos Yadlin and one of the generals of the attack on the flotilla Tal. However, victims of Mavi Marmara are requesting the identification and subsequent prosecution of Israelis from the UK who go to Israel and do military service there.

Thirteen British nationals out of thirty four who were on board Mavi Marmara flagship from among the six ships in Gaza Freedom Flotilla which was carrying humanitarian aid and construction materials to Gaza made a statement. In the statement they highlighted that some of the Israeli generals who were involved in the attack have visited the UK recently and after the submission of the evidence regarding their criminal activities at the police they should be arrested if they ever come again. Humanitarian activists reminded that the same procedure was followed when Chilean dictator Augusto Pinochet was arrested during his visit to the UK in 1998.

Meanwhile, International Criminal Court’s decision that Israel has committed war crimes on Mavi Marmara shall be an important factor for the prosecution of Israeli officers in the UK.