The chief prosecutor of the International Criminal Court (ICC), Karim Khan, has been suspended following a disciplinary process that concluded over sexual abuse allegations against him. The ICC's governing body announced the decision on Monday evening after its executive committee voted to refer the proceedings to a special session of the court's member states for consideration of his future.
According to a document seen by the Guardian, the committee of 21 member states voted by qualified majority to determine that Khan had committed serious misconduct in connection with the sexual abuse claims. Khan, a prominent British lawyer, has repeatedly denied the allegations, which first emerged in 2024 and threw his tenure as head of the court's prosecution department into disarray. The claims were brought by a woman who worked for him at the court's headquarters in The Hague.
Unprecedented Move
The decision to refer the proceedings to the ICC's 125 member states is an unprecedented step for the court of last resort and could lead to a vote on whether to remove the prosecutor from office. In a statement, the governing body said its decision to suspend Khan was 'not an indication of the final outcome'. Khan had already temporarily stepped aside from running the division that investigates and prosecutes individuals accused of atrocities.
The executive committee made its decision based on a UN watchdog report, the advice of a panel of judicial experts, and written submissions understood to have been submitted by Khan and the alleged victim. The vote is the latest development in a process that has embroiled the ICC for almost two years.
Details of Allegations
The allegations made by the ICC staffer relate to Khan's conduct between 2023 and 2024. The woman has alleged he engaged in coercive and nonconsensual sexual behaviour over an extended period, occurring in hotel rooms on work trips, in Khan's office, and at his home. Khan's lawyers have previously said he 'categorically denies' having 'harassed or mistreated any individual, or having misused his position or authority, or engaged in any conduct that could be interpreted as coercive, exploitative, or professionally inappropriate.'
