ICC Chief Prosecutor Karim Khan has been suspended amid allegations of sexual harassment
The governing body of the International Criminal Court has decided to suspend Chief Prosecutor Karim Khan. The decision follows the conclusion of disciplinary proceedings initiated in response to allegations of sexual harassment. Further details of the case have not been officially disclosed.
On the evening of June 8, the Executive Committee voted to refer the case against Khan to a special session of the Court’s member states to decide on his future.
The document states that the committee of 21 member states of the court, by a qualified majority, found that Khan had committed a serious offense in connection with the sexual harassment allegations.
Khan, a well-known British lawyer, has repeatedly denied the allegations, which first surfaced in 2024 and caused chaos in his work as head of the court’s prosecution office. The allegations were made by a woman who worked for him at the court’s headquarters in The Hague.
The decision to refer the case to the 125 member states of the ICC is an unprecedented step for the court of last resort and could lead to a vote on the prosecutor’s resignation.
In its statement, the governing body noted that the decision to suspend Khan “does not indicate a final outcome.” Khan has already temporarily stepped aside from leading the ICC unit that investigates and prosecutes individuals accused of atrocities.
It was also noted that the Executive Committee made its decision based on a report from the UN oversight body and recommendations from a panel of judicial experts, as well as written materials believed to have been submitted by Khan and the alleged victim.
The allegations made by the ICC staff member concern Khan’s conduct during the period from 2023 to 2024. The woman claims that he engaged in coercive and non-consensual sexual acts over an extended period of time. This is stated in the ICC document
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