The State Prosecutor's Office filed an indictment against Yonatan Urich, a senior aide to Prime Minister Netanyahu, and is seeking a court order barring him from the Prime Minister's Office, according to Israeli media reports.
The State Prosecutor's Office on Thursday filed an indictment against Yonatan Urich, a senior communications adviser to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, and simultaneously petitioned the court to ban him from the Prime Minister's Office. Urich was already charged in an earlier round of the investigation with passing secret information with intent to harm state security and destroying evidence, as The Zioneer reported earlier today at 10:38 Jerusalem. The prosecution's new demand for a workplace ban — framed as a precautionary measure due to Urich's continued access to sensitive materials — signals an escalation in the legal campaign against a figure at the center of multiple ongoing probes into the Prime Minister's inner circle. Urich has denied wrongdoing. The court has not yet ruled on the removal request.
As reported by The Zioneer at 10:38 Jerusalem, the indictment was filed in the 'Bild' affair, involving the alleged leak of classified military intelligence to the German newspaper. The prosecution's case has evolved: initial reports at 10:38 Jerusalem detailed charges of passing secret information, possession of secret material, and destruction of evidence, alongside a request to bar Urich from contacting Netanyahu, who was added to the prosecution's witness list. By 10:38 Jerusalem, the prosecution had expanded the indictment to include Eli Feldstein and reservist Ari Rosenfeld, and requested Urich's removal from the PMO and all security facilities. The thread shows a consistent sequence of charges and escalating restrictions, with the prosecution seeking a full bar from the PMO by 10:38 Jerusalem.
In a related development, The Zioneer reported at 10:43 Jerusalem that Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara is seeking a court order barring Urich from managing the Likud election campaign, citing Netanyahu's status as a prosecution witness. This request is part of a broader legal effort to restrict Urich's access to the PMO and sensitive materials amid the ongoing investigation.
The court has yet to rule on any of the prosecution's requests, including the removal from the PMO, the contact ban with Netanyahu, and the campaign management restriction. Urich maintains his denial of the charges.
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