ICC to investigate case against chief prosecutor Khan - Reuters
Photo: ICC chief prosecutor Karim Khan (Getty Images)
The governing body of the International Criminal Court (ICC) is set to initiate an external investigation into chief prosecutor Karim Khan. The case involves allegations of sexual harassment against him, informs Reuters.
An internal document circulated among ICC member states calls on Khan to temporarily step aside from his duties at The Hague, pending an investigation into war crimes.
Reuters reviewed the undated, unsigned document, which was distributed by ICC personnel to member states.
Khan has denied allegations of misconduct, first reported to the ICC's governing body in October. At that time, the chief prosecutor requested the court’s internal oversight body investigate the claims.
A source familiar with the matter told Reuters that the decision to initiate an external investigation was made during a meeting of the ICC's governing body, the Assembly of States Parties, on 7 November.
Khan has stated that the accusations coincide with a disinformation campaign targeting his office.
Meanwhile, ICC judges are currently considering Khan’s May request for arrest warrants against Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Israel's defence minister, and Hamas leaders.
According to Reuters, the internal document notes that the ICC’s independent body responsible for addressing conduct issues was supposed to begin an official investigation when the allegations first surfaced.
A source told Western media that the alleged victim in Khan's case "does not have confidence in the independence of the court's internal body," now led by a former Khan colleague, noting that reports on the alleged misconduct had leaked.
The document indicates growing pressure on Khan to step down temporarily, allowing a deputy prosecutor to assume his duties during the investigation, Reuters reports.
The International Criminal Court, a permanent court, prosecutes individuals for war crimes, crimes against humanity, genocide, and aggression in member states or among their citizens.
Background on ICC chief prosecutor Khan
Karim Asad Ahmad Khan, 54, a British lawyer, is an expert in international criminal law and human rights law. He has served as the ICC’s chief prosecutor since February 2021, following his election to the post.
Before this role, Khan was an assistant UN secretary-general, special adviser, and head of the UN investigative team for prosecuting ISIS crimes in Iraq.
Khan began his career in international law in 1997 and is a lifetime member of the Human Rights Institute of the International Bar Association and the founding director of the Peace and Justice Initiative, an NGO focused on implementing the ICC’s Rome Statute at national levels.
In 2023, the ICC issued arrest warrants for Russian President Vladimir Putin and Maria Lvova-Belova, the Russian presidential commissioner for children's rights.
