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ICC prosecutor faces ‘smear campaign’ amid Israel war crimes probe

October 23, 2024 at 2:40 pm

International Criminal Court (ICC) Prosecutor Karim Khan attends a press conference at the San Carlos Palace in Bogota, on April 25, 2024 [LUIS ACOSTA/AFP via Getty Images]

In what is widely thought to be a smear campaign to obstruct the prosecution of Israeli leaders at the International Criminal Court (ICC), reports have emerged of allegations against Chief Prosecutor Karim Khan KC regarding his conduct with a female colleague. The alleged victim has not made a formal complaint, and Khan has vehemently denied the allegations.

According to the UK Daily Mail, which first reported the story, Khan suggested that a deliberate smear campaign was being waged against him and the ICC.

“I absolutely can confirm there is no truth to suggestions of misconduct,” Khan is reported as saying. “This is a moment in which myself and the International Criminal Court are subject to a wide range of attacks and threats. In recent months my family including my wife and child have also been targeted.”

The Independent Oversight Mechanism (IOM), which investigates misconduct allegations at the court, has confirmed that the alleged victim has decided not to pursue a formal complaint. The matter has not proceeded to an investigation stage.

The allegations surface amid Khan’s high-profile move in May to request arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defence Minister Yoav Gallant for alleged crimes against humanity in Gaza. Since the request was filed, however, there has been no visible progress on the case.

The ICC has faced significant international pressure regarding potential investigations into Israeli officials. These latest allegations against Khan are being viewed by observers as part of ongoing tactics of intimidation aimed at deterring the court’s work.

Khan, who was elected as ICC prosecutor in 2021, has maintained his commitment to the court’s mission, emphasising that he has worked globally for three decades without any such complaints being lodged against him. He has expressed willingness to cooperate fully with any official process, while reaffirming his support for victims of harassment and abuse.

The timing and nature of these allegations have raised concerns among international justice advocates about attempts to undermine the ICC’s independence and its ongoing investigations into alleged war crimes.

Israel has a history of intimidating, threatening and seeking to blackmail ICC officials in an effort to thwart the work of the court. In May, it emerged that the former head of Mossad, Israel’s intelligence agency, personally threatened Fatou Bensouda, the former chief prosecutor of the ICC, and her family in a series of covert meetings. The threats were part of a coordinated smear campaign by Israel to undermine Bensouda, which also involved Mossad actively seeking compromising information on the prosecutor and her family members.

Mossad’s targeting of Bensouda was just one part of a nearly decade-long covert “war” waged by multiple Israeli intelligence agencies against the ICC.

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