The Belgium-based NGO Hind Rajab Foundation (HRF) filed a legal complaint in a US court on 4 February seeking a criminal investigation into Adi Karni, an Israeli dual national and former sergeant in the 603rd Combat Engineering Battalion of the Israeli army. The filing was submitted while Karni was physically present in the United States, where he is scheduled to speak at Boston University. HRF stated that his presence engages US jurisdiction under federal law and cited the War Crimes Act (18 U.S.C. §2441) and the Genocide Statute (18 U.S.C. §1091), which allow US courts to exercise jurisdiction over individuals present on US territory who are accused of committing international crimes abroad.

According to HRF, the US complaint follows earlier filings in multiple countries, including Peru, where a formal criminal investigation into Karni for genocide is already underway. The foundation said additional complaints have been filed elsewhere to activate jurisdiction in countries Karni travels to. HRF stated that its submission is based on an investigative report prepared in line with international evidentiary standards and that jurisdiction under the cited US statutes is triggered by physical presence.

HRF’s report alleges Karni’s involvement in controlled demolitions of civilian infrastructure, the destruction of protected religious buildings including mosques, and widespread destruction carried out by his unit in Ga-za. The report also references Karni’s post-deployment public statements, which HRF argues are relevant to assessing intent. HRF said the documented conduct may constitute war crimes and could contribute to the legal elements of crimes against humanity and genocide, and stressed that the complaint is based on documented evidence rather than political disagreement.