ICC Chief Prosecutor Karim Khan Suspended Amid Sexual Harassment Allegations

Karim Khan, the chief prosecutor of the International Criminal Court in The Hague (ICC), has been suspended from his post following an investigation into sexual harassment allegations against him. Reuters reported this morning, Tuesday.

A diplomatic source said that after an investigation lasting about 18 months, the executive bureau of the court's governing body determined that Khan had committed "serious misconduct," following allegations that he had had non-consensual sex with a female lawyer in his office. The governing body will send its findings to all 125 member states of the court, which will vote on Khan's fate at a special session to be held later.

The prosecutor's lawyer denied the claims and said he "strongly rejects the decision." He added that "the decision is unlawful, procedurally unfair and unsupported by evidence." In a court press release, it was stated that "the decision and the related documents will remain confidential."

Last month, it was reported that Khan had been "placed on administrative leave," after evidence against him on sexual assaults came to light. A week earlier, an investigation by The Wall Street Journal exposed the complainant's testimony against Khan and examined the connection between the affair and his decision to issue arrest warrants for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and other senior officials last year.

The complainant in the case is a lawyer in her 30s from Malaysia, who used to travel with Khan as part of her role. According to the complainant's testimony, Khan was under heavy pressure to take action against senior Israelis just two months into the war. Pro-Palestinian activists began branding him as "someone who enables genocide," and member states of the International Court pushed Khan toward confrontation with Israel and its loyal friend, the United States.