ICC Prosecutor Karim Khan Suspended After Sexual Harassment Allegations

The main governing body of the International Criminal Court in The Hague suspended Prosecutor Karim Khan on Sunday night, following the affair in which he sexually harassed a staff member in his office. The body that suspended Khan is known as the Assembly of States Parties (ASP). A smaller panel of the assembly, consisting of 21 members, decided to refer Khan’s case to the full assembly, which represents all member states of the International Criminal Court.

"The bureau decided by a qualified majority to suspend the prosecutor from office immediately until the final decision of the Assembly of States Parties as the competent decision-making body. The bureau emphasizes that this suspension is not an indication of the final outcome," the body said in a statement.

The 55-year-old Khan stepped down from his position in May 2025 and went on leave to fight the allegations, which he denies, so the impact on the court’s functioning will be limited. In November 2024, the court issued arrest warrants for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and for then-Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, shortly before the affair was exposed. Israel said the issuance of the arrest warrants was part of Khan’s attempt to divert criticism away from himself, once he realized the extent of his trouble.

The employee said she experienced a series of sexual harassments by Khan during joint work trips around the world. In addition, Khan was among the first at the court to be hit by U.S. sanctions following the issuance of the arrest warrants.

Israel’s ambassador to the UN, Danny Danon, wrote on X after Khan’s suspension: "The International Criminal Court’s decision to immediately suspend the chief prosecutor in The Hague, Karim Khan, following the UN investigation, proves that this body is rotten from within. Now it is time to cancel the absurd indictments against Prime Minister Netanyahu!"