Ambassador Ina Lepel was interrupted in a session on disability rights and did not answer questions about Gaza
LAHORE:
Tensions flared at the Asma Jahangir Conference in Lahore on Sunday when a pro-Palestinian protester confronted the German ambassador over the country’s role in the Gaza conflict.
German Ambassador to Pakistan Ina Lepel spoke at the 6th Asma Jahangir Conference in Lahore, which brought together jurists, human rights advocates and political figures who addressed issues related to fundamental rights, democracy, judicial independence and international law. The conference is a two-day forum organized in collaboration with the Supreme Court Bar Association and the Bar Council of Pakistan.
The ambassador spoke at a session focused on the rights of people with disabilities.
In a post on
The accompanying video shows him interrupting Lepel as she was about to speak, accusing Germany of complicity in what he described as genocide in Gaza and linking Berlin’s arms exports to Israel with the mass incapacitation of Palestinian children.
“Children have been disabled in Gaza due to the same weapons provided by your country. Do you oppose this genocide? Are you ashamed of your country’s role?” he said during the session.
He added: “This needs to be answered before we start talking about genocide…Yet, more than 12,000 children have been disabled in Gaza by the same weapons provided by Germany. How do you expect us to hear from her about disabilities?”
The video showed that the ambassador refused to respond to the comments while the moderator of the session asked the PSC president to wait until the end, but he refused and began chanting pro-Palestinian slogans before being asked to leave.
The group alleged that organizers “disturbed the students” who asked the questions.
“It is very hypocritical of the organizers to hold a ‘human rights conference’ but not only invite individuals from the countries that have committed some of the worst human rights abuses in Gaza by supporting Israel, but they also do not allow students to question and hold these individuals accountable,” he said.
He committed one of the worst human rights abuses in Gaza by supporting Israel, but he also does not allow students to question and hold these people accountable.
— Progressive Student Collective (@PSCollective_) February 8, 2026
A video he posted showed a tense exchange between protesters and others, with protesters defending their right to ask questions while accusing organizers of hypocrisy.
Academic Nida Kirmani expressed support for the group’s actions, saying that “the contradictions of this system must be exposed” and that the conference should welcome such protests.
“Everyone knows that they operate under various limitations. These types of protests allow deeper criticism to be expressed.”
I’m in @AliAbdullahK_ & he @PSCollective_side of; It is necessary to expose the contradictions of this system. Honestly, the Asma Jahangir conference should welcome these kinds of protests. Everyone knows that they operate under various limitations. These protests allow deeper criticisms to be expressed.
-Nida Kirmani (@NidaKirmani) February 8, 2026
Germany’s role in the Gaza conflict has come under increasing scrutiny amid data from the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI) showing that Germany supplied around 30% of Israel’s arms imports between 2019 and 2023.
In 2023 alone, Germany approved 326.5 million euros in military exports to Israel, ten times more than the previous year. Since 2003, Germany has exported more than €3.3 billion in military equipment to Israel, including naval assets that human rights groups say have been used in operations affecting Gaza.
A similar incident occurred at the 2024 Asma Jahangir Conference, when Germany’s then ambassador Alfred Grannas faced interruptions while speaking on civil rights. Protesters questioned his presence at the human rights forum, arguing that it was incongruous to give lectures on civil liberties while Germany supported Israel’s military campaign in Gaza.
Chants of “Free, Free Palestine” and “From the River to the Sea” filled the venue, and Grannas told protesters that “screaming is not dialogue… if you want to scream, do it outside,” before organizers escorted them out of the event.
Read: German envoy called for a “sermon” on civil rights
The envoy’s statements were criticized at the time.
