The European Legal Support Center (ELSC), with the support of Portuguese Lawyers Carmo Afonso and Madalena Vaz da Silva, has filed a criminal complaint with the Portuguese judicial authorities against the registered German owner, Gerdes Bereederungs GmbH & Co. KG, of the Portuguese-flagged Holger G (IMO 9995894).
They demand criminal proceedings, a formal investigation and the immediate seizure of the military cargo aboard the Holger G.
The Holger G departed from Chennai, India, on 1 November and is bound for Israel with an expected arrival date of 31 December 2025. Documentation uncovered by investigative outlet The Ditch revealed that the cargo on board the Holger G. The shipment is reportedly destined for Israel’s largest military company Elbit Systems and its subsidiary ammunition producer IMI Systems.
In parallel, ELSC has placed the vessel’s third party liability-insurers NorthStandard Limited on notice of the legal and regulatory risks around providing such cover, in light of the UK Notice to Exporters 2024/20, which suspends licenses for the export of certain military goods to Israel and makes it an offence for UK persons to facilitate such supply.
ELSC demands NorthStandard suspend the insurance coverage for the Holger G and any other vessels transporting military or dual-use goods whose export to Israel is prohibited under UK law and implement enhanced due diligence procedures for the future.
Mahmoud Nawajaa, the General Coordinator of the BDS movement, stated:
“The Palestinian-led BDS movement welcomes this legal action, which supports the efforts of activists from Mozambique, where the Holger G was serviced last, to Portugal who are mobilizing and demanding the immediate seizure of the illegal cargo. On board the Holger G are shells, mortar bombs and military grade steel. Let us be clear, this is a shipment of military materiel that Israel will use to murder Palestinians. The “ceasefire” has not ended Israel’s killings of Palestinians and aggression against neighbouring states. The genocide in Gaza is ongoing. Only accountability and targeted sanctions will stop Israel’s crimes.
“We salute the ELSC for taking these historic legal actions to halt the illegal transportation of military materiel to genocidal Israel. We need further support now to urgently stop the Holger G. We call on supporters in Portugal, across the Mediterranean, as well as in the UK and Germany to mobilize now. We must maintain pressure on these governments to stop the vessel and impose legal, targeted sanctions on Israel, including a comprehensive military embargo.”
Giovanni Fassina, ELSC Executive Director, said:
"This case is critical because it goes to the heart of states’ obligations to prevent the transfer of weapons that contribute to genocide. Portuguese authorities have a clear and immediate duty under domestic, European, and international law to halt the transport of military cargo carried under their flag and to seize the Vessel. While this legal action is necessary, it is not sufficient on its own—its impact depends on the collective power of civil society, movements standing behind it to mobilise pressure and ensure the law is enforced in practice, not just on paper."
For more on the legal obligations of flag, port and coastal states according to the Law of the Sea, see the ASCOMARE legal opinion.
For more on the legal obligations of corporations in front of Israel’s genocide, see Dr Irene Pietropaoli study “Obligations of Third States and Corporations to Prevent and Punish Genocide in Gaza”.