Relatives file complaint alleging nonprofit hijacked Raphael Lemkin’s name to target Israel
A Pennsylvania complaint accuses the Lemkin Institute of misusing the name of the Genocide Convention drafter and violating state and federal publicity and charity laws after labeling Israel’s response to Oct. 7 as genocide.
Relatives of Raphael Lemkin and allied Jewish groups have filed a complaint with Pennsylvania authorities alleging that a Pennsylvania-based nonprofit has misappropriated Lemkin’s name to promote an agenda they say runs counter to his life’s work.
The filing, brought by a surviving relative, Joseph Lemkin, together with the European Jewish Association, was addressed to Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro and the state Bureau of Corporations and Charitable Organizations. The complaint accuses the organization known as the Lemkin Institute for Genocide Prevention and Human Security of unauthorized use of Lemkin’s name and likeness and lists potential violations including post-mortem right of publicity, identity theft, false endorsement, cybersquatting and breaches of Pennsylvania charitable solicitation laws.
According to the complaint, the institute publicly characterized Israel’s military response to the Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas attack as genocide and urged the International Criminal Court to indict Israel’s prime minister five days after that attack. The filing contends those statements and the institute’s broader public messaging have been amplified online, reaching millions of viewers, and that the group is using Lemkin’s name to solicit funds and lend authority to its campaigns.
The complaint further alleges the institute has defended or provided rationale for militant groups in its public statements, including messaging that the filing describes as portraying some armed groups as responses to historical grievances. The complaint frames those actions as inconsistent with Raphael Lemkin’s record and intent in drafting the United Nations Genocide Convention of 1948.
Raphael Lemkin, a Jewish lawyer and scholar who lost family members in the Holocaust, coined the term "genocide" to describe the systematic annihilation of targeted groups and spent his career advocating for international legal mechanisms to prevent and punish such crimes. His work helped shape the Genocide Convention, and he was nominated repeatedly for the Nobel Peace Prize during his lifetime.
Legal experts say claims over use of an individual’s name after death can implicate state right-of-publicity statutes, trademark and false endorsement law, and charitable solicitation rules when fundraising is involved. The complaint asks Pennsylvania officials to investigate and to revoke any legal authority the nonprofit claims to use Lemkin’s name.
The filing does not seek to bar debate over Israel’s policies, the complaint asserts; instead it seeks to prevent the family name from being used, in their words, to "raise money, peddle propaganda and mislead the public." The complaint frames the matter as both legal and moral, arguing that Lemkin’s legacy should not be applied to causes contrary to his stated aims.
Public statements attributed to the Lemkin Institute since Oct. 2023 drew scrutiny in multiple media outlets and among advocacy groups, according to the complaint. The filing cites specific posts and public calls for international investigations, asserting those communications demonstrate the institute’s public positions and use of Lemkin’s name in furtherance of them.
The complaint was submitted amid broader debates over the use of historical figures’ names by advocacy organizations and the responsibilities of charitable entities when invoking legacies or personal reputations. Observers say such disputes can hinge on documentary evidence of authorization, the organization’s incorporation and branding materials, fundraising descriptions, and whether the use of a name creates a likelihood of confusion or false endorsement.
Pennsylvania’s Bureau of Corporations and Charitable Organizations enforces state charitable solicitation laws and reviews corporate filings, and it has authority to investigate complaints alleging misuse tied to fundraising or misrepresentation. The complaint asks the office to determine whether the Lemkin Institute’s use of the name violates state charity statutes and to take appropriate remedial action.
The complaint also asks Gov. Shapiro to consider administrative or legal steps to restrict the nonprofit’s use of the Lemkin name. The filing was supported by legal counsel representing the surviving family member and the European Jewish Association.
The Lemkin Institute and its representatives are named in the complaint. The filing outlines the allegations and the legal bases for Pennsylvania officials to act; it does not include an immediate response from the organization. The bureau and the governor’s office have not publicly announced whether they will open an inquiry.
The dispute highlights questions about legacy stewardship and the legal protections available to families of historical figures. The family’s filing contends that Lemkin created the concept of genocide to protect groups—including Jews—from systematic extermination and that using his name to accuse the Jewish state of genocide misapplies his work and confuses public understanding.
How Pennsylvania regulators and courts will treat the arguments — balancing free expression, historical legacy, charitable law and publicity rights — remains unresolved. The complaint sets a timetable for state review and asks officials to act to prevent what the plaintiffs describe as further misappropriation of Raphael Lemkin’s name and legacy.
Further developments, including any formal investigation or legal proceedings, will determine whether the organizers of the Lemkin Institute must change their branding, stop specific fundraising appeals, or face additional sanctions under state law.