Three years after the first indictment was filed against Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, the prosecution and defense are considering seeking criminal mediation, Channel 12 News reported.
According to the report, Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara is expected to formulate her position and submit it to the Jerusalem District Court in the coming days.
It was also reported that Netanyahu’s lawyers are not dismissing the proposal and announced that they will submit their answer at the same time to the State.
The proposal to have the sides engage in mediation was raised in court during discussions on the admissibility of materials that are currently being conducted behind closed doors. Attorney Jack Chen, the lawyer representing former Bezeq owner Shaul Elovitch, is reportedly the one who proposed the idea. Judge Oded Shaham asked the state to consider the matter.
The purpose of criminal mediation is to reach an agreed plea deal settlement between the parties with the assistance of the court. The mediation is conducted behind closed doors, before a judge who did not hear the main proceedings. The move enables the streamlining of the criminal procedure, while the parties reach agreements between them.