ICC chief prosecutor who sought Netanyahu arrest warrant takes leave over sexual misconduct probe
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Amid mounting pressure from some senior staff at the International Criminal Court, its chief prosecutor, Karim Khan—who is under investigation over allegations of unwarranted sexual advances towards a woman—has decided to take a leave from official duties until the inquiry is over.
The Hague-based court confirmed that Khan, who had resisted stepping aside earlier, communicated his decision to take leave until the investigation concludes, allowing his two deputy prosecutors to assume interim leadership of the prosecution office, The Guardian reported.
The investigation, being conducted by the United Nations’ Office of Internal Oversight Services (OIOS), was launched in November following accusations related to Khan’s conduct towards a woman who worked under him, with claims including unwanted sexual touching, coercive behaviour, and abuse of authority. In addition to these allegations, the inquiry is also examining concerns over possible witness intimidation and retaliation against members of the prosecution staff, with investigators reportedly having interviewed Khan over two days last week.
Khan, a British lawyer who was elected in 2021 as the ICC’s chief prosecutor, had recently applied for arrest warrants against Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former defence minister Yoav Gallant over alleged war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza.
Some observers have alleged that the timing of the investigation and the mounting pressure on Khan may be politically motivated, linking it to his recent move to seek arrest warrants against Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu over alleged war crimes in Gaza, though no evidence has officially substantiated this connection.
The investigation has already seen several ICC staff members, along with the complainant and Khan himself, questioned by the OIOS, whose final report will be sent to the president of the court’s governing body for review and possible further action.
In Khan’s absence, deputy prosecutors Nazhat Shameem Khan of Fiji and Mame Mandiaye Niang of Senegal will manage the prosecutor’s office, which oversees a staff of approximately 450 at a time when the court is facing heightened political pressure.
Their interim leadership coincides with sensitive developments in ongoing ICC cases, including investigations into alleged war crimes and crimes against humanity in the occupied Palestinian territories, which had seen Khan preparing further applications targeting Israeli officials.
The timing of Khan’s leave also comes amid expectations of renewed sanctions from the United States, with former President Donald Trump having imposed economic and travel restrictions on Khan earlier this year in response to the ICC’s issuance of arrest warrants against Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former defence minister Yoav Gallant.
If the OIOS investigation concludes that Khan committed serious misconduct or breached his official duties, the court’s 125 member states will be required to vote in a secret ballot to determine whether he should be removed from office. Human rights organisations have welcomed the prosecutor’s decision to step aside, viewing it as a necessary step to uphold the court’s integrity and restore confidence among victims, court personnel, and the broader public.
