BRUSSELS (AP) – The chief prosecutor of the International Criminal Court (ICC), Karim Khan, has announced his temporary resignation pending an investigation into allegations of sexual misconduct. This decision was made public on Friday, following a series of serious allegations against him, which he has firmly denied.
The accusations claim that Khan attempted to coerce a female aide into a sexual relationship over a year and allegedly groped her without consent. These allegations emerged last year and were met with strong reactions from women's rights groups, who had been advocating for Khan to step back from his duties since the claims surfaced.
Eimear Shine, a spokesperson for The Hague-based Women’s Initiatives for Gender Justice, emphasized that in any other professional environment, an individual facing such grave allegations would have been expected to resign months prior. The discussion around Khan’s position intensified particularly when an investigation by The Associated Press in the previous year revealed that two court employees, whom the alleged victim confided in, reported the misconduct to the court's independent oversight body in May 2024. This reporting occurred shortly before Khan sought arrest warrants against Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, his defense minister, and three Hamas leaders on war crime charges.
The ICC's independent watchdog conducted a five-day inquiry, during which they interviewed the woman involved. However, the investigation concluded after she opted against filing a formal complaint. Notably, Khan was not questioned during this inquiry. Despite the inability to substantiate the allegations, the watchdog advised Khan in a memo to limit his interactions with the complainant to protect all parties' rights and uphold the court’s integrity.
In its recent statement, the ICC confirmed that Khan has communicated his decision to take leave until the external investigation carried out by the Office of Internal Oversight Services, the U.N. internal watchdog, concludes. During Khan's absence, the deputy prosecutors will handle the responsibilities of the prosecutor’s office.
Danya Chaikel, representing the ICC from the International Federation for Human Rights, assured that court operations will continue seamlessly. She noted that the various cases and investigations are being conducted by professionals not compromised by the ongoing situation.
This tumultuous period for Khan coincides with previous sanctions imposed by the administration of U.S. President Donald Trump in February. These sanctions were related to Khan's actions concerning the arrest warrants for Israeli officials and are deemed to be hampering investigations across a wide range of cases at the court.
As the ICC navigates these serious allegations and their implications on its leadership and operations, the focus remains on adherence to the court's standards and the continued pursuit of justice in its ongoing cases.
