The woman who has accused the chief prosecutor of the International Criminal Court of sexual abuse has been targeted by private intelligence firms in a covert operation carried out on behalf of Qatar, a British daily reported on Thursday.
The Guardian revealed that the firms obtained private information about the woman, including her passport details, flight information and the birth certificate of her child, in an effort to undermine her credibility and her claims against ICC Prosecutor Karim Khan.
The private operation, according to the Guardian led by the London-based Highgate firm, also reportedly unsuccessfully sought to establish connections between the woman and Israel. The report found that the operation was commissioned by a high-level government office in Qatar.
Khan’s alleged victim—a lawyer in her 30s who worked directly for him—told the Guardian that she was appalled by the operation against her.
“The idea that private intelligence firms have been instructed to target me is an incomprehensible as it is heartbreaking,” she said.
The government of Qatar did not respond to a request for comment.
In a statement to the Guardian, Highgate confirmed having led an operation related to the ICC but insisted that it had not “acted against any individual” and denied having been commissioned by the “government of Qatar.”
“Highgate never aimed at discrediting any individual, and we strongly believe that no alleged victim of serious crimes should ever be targeted nor their claims undermined,” a Highgate spokesperson told JNS.
Khan sought arrest warrants for Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant last year for alleged crimes in the war against Hamas in Gaza. ICC warrants were also issued against three Hamas leaders, all of whom have since been killed by Israel.
The Trump administration subsequently targeted Khan with sanctions.
Khan stepped aside in May pending a U.N. inquiry into his conduct.
He has also been accused of retaliating against staff who supported his accuser, including by demoting several people he felt were critical of him.
In August, the Guardian reported that a second woman has come forward to accuse Khan of sexual misconduct.
