Shurat HaDin, an Israeli organization advocating for the rights of Jewish victims of terrorism, has filed a complaint with the International Criminal Court (ICC) seeking an investigation into Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez for alleged complicity in war crimes, reports The Brussels Times.
The complaint accuses Spain of supplying components to Iran and its allies for military purposes.
In the submission made under Article 15 of the Rome Statute, Shurat HaDin claimed that Spain had authorized the export of approximately 1.3 million euros worth of dual-use components, including detonators and explosive-related materials, in 2024 and 2025.
Shurat HaDin said the transfers took place despite what it described as a well-documented pattern of Iran supplying weapons and explosive systems to allied terrorist groups, including Hezbollah, Hamas and the Houthis.
The filing argues that under international law, providing essential components that enable weapons to function can amount to aiding and abetting war crimes, even if the items are classified as dual-use.
The organization also pointed to Iranian media coverage showing missiles bearing images of Sanchez alongside messages thanking him, describing it as evidence that Tehran viewed Spanish policy as supportive.
Shurat HaDin called on the ICC prosecutor to open a formal investigation and issue an arrest warrant against Sanchez, and examine the role of other officials involved in export decisions.
The lawsuit comes amid longstanding tensions between Israel and Spain, which began with the Gaza war and have continued since.
In November of 2023, Spain’s Ambassador to Israel was summoned by the Foreign Ministry after Sanchez claimed that "Israel is violating international law and is carrying out indiscriminate killings in Gaza."
In April of 2024, Sanchez criticized what he called Israel's "disproportionate response" in the Gaza war, saying it risks "destabilizing the Middle East, and as a consequence, the entire world".
A month later, Spanish Foreign Minister José Manuel Albares advocated for international sanctions against Israel, citing the ongoing conflict with Hamas in Gaza.
Earlier this week, the Director General of the Foreign Ministry, Eden Bar Tal, held a reprimand call with the head of the Spanish Embassy in Israel, Francisca Pedrós.
The conversation took place in response to a shocking antisemitic display in which an effigy of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was detonated in El Burgo, a small town near the southern city of Malaga.
This past Friday, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu accused Spain of exhibiting hostility towards Israel and announced the removal of Madrid from the international mechanism overseeing the Gaza ceasefire.