ICC chief prosecutor on leave amid sexual misconduct probe

Karim Khan, the chief prosecutor of the International Criminal Court (ICC) in The Hague, has been placed on leave until an investigation conducted by the UN’s Office of Internal Oversight Services (OIOS) is completed.

“The investigation into alleged misconduct by the Prosecutor is conducted by the OIOS upon request by the Presidency of the Assembly, after having consulted the Bureau of the Assembly,” the Presidency of the Assembly of States Parties of the ICC said on Sunday.

The statement said that in Khan’s absence, the deputy prosecutors will be responsible for managing the Office of the Prosecutor and emphasised that the court will continue its work normally and without interruption.

“The findings of the investigation will be handled in a transparent manner in accordance with the Rome Statute and the legal framework of the Court,” it added.

In May 2024, two ICC employees filed complaints about Khan’s behaviour to the court’s independent oversight body.

This happened just days before Khan sought arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his Defence Minister Yoav Gallant over alleged war crimes.

According to the Wall Street Journal, Khan, the ICC’s lead prosecutor since 2021, is accused of forcing himself on a female assistant in a New York hotel room in December 2023.

His lawyers deny all allegations, calling them “categorically untrue.”

The OIOS will report its findings to the president of the assembly when complete.

The ICC prosecutor has come under increased attack since announcing the arrest warrants on the Israeli officials. Khan has lost access to his email and his bank accounts have been frozen since US President Donald Trump slapped sanctions on him in February in response to his effort to hold Israeli officials accountable for their actions in Gaza.