THE HAGUE, Netherlands — The head of the International Criminal Court (ICC), Karim Khan, is currently facing serious allegations of attempting to coerce a female aide into a sexual relationship while simultaneously pursuing war crimes charges against Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Khan has firmly denied these accusations, and officials within the court have speculated that they could be part of a smear campaign orchestrated by Israeli intelligence.
Multiple details concerning the allegations have emerged from documents shared with the court’s independent watchdog and from discussions with eight ICC officials and associates of the woman involved.
The accusations detail that Khan, 54, noticed the woman when she was working in a different department within the ICC. He reportedly transferred her into his office with a pay increase. Their interactions are said to have intensified after a private dinner in London, where Khan allegedly took her hand and expressed frustrations about his marriage. Following this dinner, the woman began accompanying Khan on official trips and meetings with government officials.
On one of these trips, it is alleged that Khan requested the woman to join him on his hotel bed and then proceeded to “sexually touch her.” Other accounts include incidents where he would knock on her door late at night and allegedly lock the door of his office while putting his hand in her pocket. Furthermore, he is said to have frequently invited her to vacation together.
Khan has maintained there is “no truth to suggestions of misconduct,” reiterating that he has maintained a clean reputation over three decades of work in the field. He expressed a willingness to cooperate with any investigation, stressing the importance of thoroughly addressing and examining such accusations.
Concerning the status of the allegations, the woman confided in two colleagues at the court, who reported the alleged misconduct to the ICC’s independent watchdog in early May. The watchdog subsequently interviewed the woman and concluded its inquiry within five days after she opted not to file a formal complaint. Notably, Khan was never questioned during this process.
Despite her decision, individuals close to the woman have indicated that her initial hesitance stemmed from a lack of trust in the in-house watchdog. As a result, she has reached out to the assembly of member states that governs the ICC, requesting an external investigation. An informed ICC official, who requested anonymity, corroborated that this request is under consideration.
Paivi Kaukoranta, a Finnish diplomat and current president of the Assembly of States Parties to the Rome Statute, did not confirm whether a new inquiry has been initiated. However, she acknowledged the possibility of future steps and called for respect for the integrity and confidentiality of the ongoing process and any necessary developments.
As for the pursuit of war crimes charges, Khan sought arrest warrants on May 20 against Netanyahu, his defense minister, and three leaders of Hamas, inspired by escalating tensions. This request is currently under review by a panel of three judges. The Biden administration has publicly expressed being caught off guard by these charges, and allies of Israel in Congress have also highlighted the controversy.
When announcing the charges, Khan claimed that external elements were attempting to interfere with his investigation. He emphasized the need for all efforts to obstruct or intimidate officials of the ICC to cease immediately.
Israel has actively campaigned against the ICC since the court recognized Palestine and began its preliminary investigation in 2015 into allegations surrounding the “situation in the State of Palestine.” Reports from news outlets like The Guardian and various Israeli media suggested that over the past decade, Israeli intelligence has allegedly targeted senior ICC personnel, including surveilling Khan’s predecessor and attempting to discredit her through monetary inducements.
In the lead-up to Khan’s announcement regarding war crimes charges, Netanyahu urged global democracies to take vigorous actions against what he described as an “outrage of historic proportions.” The Israeli foreign ministry has redirected inquiries about the case to the Prime Minister’s office, which remained unresponsive. Meanwhile, the U.S. State Department has refrained from discussing specifics but has stated it takes allegations of sexual harassment seriously and expects the ICC to uphold similar standards.