#ICC / Israeli Mossad chief threatened ICC prosecutor over war crimes inquiry
[…] "You don't want to be getting into things that could compromise your security or that of your family."
The allegations detailed in the Guardian paint a troubling picture of alleged intimidation tactics and excessive pressure applied by Israeli intelligence against an ICC prosecutor.
Cohen's covert contacts with Bensouda took place over several years leading up to her 2021 decision to open a formal #ICC investigation into alleged Israeli war crimes.
A close ally of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Cohen personally led the #Mossad's efforts as part of a decade-long campaign by Israel to undermine the ICC probe.
The efforts escalated in 2019-2020 with Cohen allegedly showing Bensouda photos of her husband taken covertly and suggesting the ICC probe would hurt her career.
[…] Another Israeli source briefed on the operation against Bensouda said the Mossad’s objective was to compromise the prosecutor or enlist her as someone who would cooperate with Israel’s demands.
