Guy Hochman says he was interrogated for six hours after legal group filed complaint accusing him of war crimes
An Israeli comedian and former combat soldier was detained and interrogated for six hours while traveling to Canada on Monday after a pro-Palestinian legal group filed a complaint against him accusing him of war crimes and “incitement to genocide”.
The comedian, Guy Hochman, was detained upon arrival at Toronto Pearson international airport and only released after the intervention of the Israeli consulate, according to the Times of Israel. His detention came after the Hind Rajab Foundation, a Belgium-based group that aims to hold Israeli military personnel accountable for war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza, filed a 40-page dossier about him with Canadian authorities. The groups Canadian Lawyers for International Human Rights and the Legal Centre for Palestine also joined the complaint.
Hochman’s performance went on as scheduled following his release. On Tuesday, the Hind Rajab Foundation also filed a complaint urging US authorities to investigate and prosecute Hochman, who is scheduled to perform in New York City on Tuesday evening.
The group argued that the scheduled performance “poses an imminent risk of further criminal conduct” and noted that in addition to international law, Hochman’s conduct might violate US federal criminal statutes, including the War Crimes Act and genocide statute.
