Former Israeli intelligence chief ‘threatened’ ICC prosecutor over war crimes probe, Guardian investigation finds

The former head of the Israeli secret service Mossad Yossi Cohen is said to have “threatened” the chief prosecutor of the International Criminal Court (ICC) to stop an investigation into war crimes.

The claim, reported by The guard After a year-long investigation, it turns out that Cohen tried to intimidate Fatou Bensoudathe then ICC Prosecutor, in secret meetings.

The guard cites four unnamed sources who revealed that Cohen’s threats were part of a broader attempt to pressure Bensouda to stop her investigation into alleged war crimes and crimes against humanity in the occupied Palestinian territories. Bensouda reportedly briefed a small group of senior ICC officials on Cohen’s attempts and expressed concerns about his “persistent and threatening nature.”

Three sources familiar with Bensouda’s official statements to the ICC confirmed that Cohen had put her under pressure on several occasions, saying: “You should help us and leave what concerns you to us. You don’t want to get involved in things that could endanger your safety or that of your family.”

A source described Cohen’s

Behavior similar to “stalking”.

The Guardian also reported that Israeli intelligence services had been waging a covert “war” against the International Criminal Court for nearly a decade, with the aim of preventing investigations into possible Israeli war crimes.

Read part 1 of the exclusive Guardian Investigation.