ICC suspends chief prosecutor Karim Khan following sexual misconduct probe
Karim Khan, the prosecutor who targeted Israel's top leadership over the Gaza war, is suspended following a sexual misconduct probe he claims is a political smear campaign
The chief prosecutor of the International Criminal Court, Karim Khan, was suspended from duty with immediate effect on Monday following an investigation into allegations of sexual misconduct.
The Bureau of the Assembly of States Parties, the oversight body representing the countries that ratified the court's founding treaty, announced the decision following a qualified majority vote.
The Bureau confirmed that its move was based on a comprehensive investigation conducted by the United Nations Office of Internal Oversight Services, underlying evidence, and the legal advice of an ad hoc panel of judicial experts.
Khan has been sidelined from all official duties pending a final decision by the full Assembly, which will convene an emergency special session 'as soon as possible'.
The dramatic suspension is inseparable from the intense global spotlight trained on Khan since May 2024, when he aggressively pursued arrest warrants against high-ranking Israeli officials.
Khan applied for warrants against Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu and then-Defense Minister Gallant for war crimes and crimes against humanity, specifically citing the starvation of civilians as a method of warfare. He also sought warrants for Hamas leaders, including Yahya Sinwar, for the October 7 massacres.
Khan and his legal team have consistently characterized the sexual misconduct allegations as a coordinated smear campaign engineered by powerful external intelligence and political actors to derail his investigations into Israel. The investigation reportedly yielded a massive 5,000-page dossier and an 85-page judicial assessment. Khan has previously detailed intense diplomatic pressure, including threats of US sanctions and political intervention from Western officials aimed at forcing him out of office.