The Former head of Israel’s Mossad intelligence agency, Yossi Cohen, allegedly threatened former International Criminal Court (ICC) chief prosecutor, Fatou Bensouda in secret meetings to drop a war crimes investigation into Israeli actions in Palestinian territories, The Guardian revealed on Tuesday.
These covert meetings reportedly took place before Bensouda decided in 2021 to launch an investigation into alleged war crimes in the region.
The investigation led to ICC prosecutor and Bensouda’s successor, Karim Khan, to seek an arrest warrant for Israeli Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, for actions during the Gaza conflict.
Cohen, acting as an “unofficial messenger” of the Israeli government, attempted to influence the Gambian prosecutor— between 2017 and 2021 — by warning her of potential consequences for her and her family.
According to ICC sources, Cohen told Bensouda, “You should help us and let us take care of you. You don’t want to get into things that could compromise your security or family.”
Mossad also got their hands on secret recordings of Bensouda’s husband in a bid to sway the prosecutor.
These actions, reportedly part of a broader effort by Israeli intelligence to undermine the ICC, included attempts to discredit Bensouda through personal attacks.
However, The Guardian reported that the Israeli government denied the allegations, with a spokesperson calling them “false and unfounded.”
Bensouda and current ICC officials have not commented on this matter, but ICC prosecutor Khan recently stated he would not tolerate attempts to intimidate ICC personnel.
According to legal experts, these actions could constitute offences under the Rome Statute, which governs the ICC.
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