LONDON ( WNAM MONITORING): Amnesty International has joined a criminal complaint against FedEx Belgium over the alleged unlawful transit of military equipment destined for Israel through Belgium, the rights organization said on Wednesday.
The complaint, filed with prosecutors in the Belgian city of Liege, was initially brought by a coalition of civil society groups, including Vredesactie and Ligue des droits humains (The League of Human Rights).
The groups allege that FedEx Belgium failed to obtain a required transit license for a shipment that included components for F-35 fighter jets, which they say were ultimately destined for Israel.
According to Amnesty, the shipment originated at Hill Air Force Base in Utah in October 2024 and was bound for Nevatim Airbase in Israel. The organization said the cargo was unloaded at Liege Airport before being transported by road to Cologne Airport in Germany and then onward to Israel.
Under regulations in Belgium’s Wallonia region, companies must obtain authorization for the transit of military equipment through the territory. Amnesty and its partners argue that failure to secure such a permit could constitute a criminal offense under Belgian law.
“We are concerned that a pattern is emerging where Belgian and Walloon authorities are not putting mechanisms in place to effectively regulate the transit of arms,” said Carine Thibaut, director of Amnesty International’s French-speaking Belgium branch.
“By bringing this case, we hope to stop the further unlawful transit of arms through Belgium to Israel and secure accountability,” she added.
The complaint comes amid growing scrutiny of arms transfers linked to Israel’s military operations in Gaza.
Amnesty said Belgian authorities suspended licenses for certain military-related exports to Israel in 2024 following an International Court of Justice ruling that found a plausible risk of genocide in Gaza. The organization also noted that Walloon authorities subsequently prohibited the transit of weapons to Israel through Liege and Charleroi airports.
FedEx Belgium rejected suggestions that it had knowingly transported weapons.
In a statement provided to Amnesty, a company spokesperson said: “FedEx is committed to complying with applicable laws and regulations. We do not ship weapons or ammunition internationally and have put in place strict screening procedures to prevent such shipments.”
Amnesty said comments made by FedEx in 2025 indicated that some routes were altered during the brief conflict between Iran and Israel that year, potentially resulting in military-regulated cargo passing through Liege unintentionally.
The case adds to legal and political debates in Europe over arms transfers connected to the Gaza conflict, with rights groups calling for stricter enforcement of existing export and transit regulations.
