The Hague, Netherlands — The top prosecutor of the International Criminal Court (ICC) has initiated a request for an internal investigation concerning allegations that he attempted to pressure a female assistant into a sexual relationship and inappropriately touched her.
Karim Khan’s call for an investigation came on Monday, following an inquiry by a news organization that uncovered accusations made in May by two colleagues to whom the woman had confided. This incident occurred as he was preparing to pursue legal charges against Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and leaders of Hamas for their involvement in the Gaza conflict.
Khan has firmly asserted that the allegations of misconduct are unfounded and suggested that these claims could be part of an effort by Israeli intelligence to undermine the credibility of the ICC. In a recent social media statement, he expressed concerns over the media coverage, stating it infringed upon the confidentiality of the court’s internal processes and disseminated disinformation that compromised both his rights and those of the individual making the allegations. Khan pledged complete cooperation with any investigation conducted by the court’s Independent Oversight Mechanism, the same entity that had previously closed an inquiry shortly after receiving a third-party complaint regarding the issue.
He emphasized the need for the inquiry to function independently to ensure that the important work of the Office continues without interruption, while opting not to provide further commentary on the matter.
Earlier, the court’s oversight body had concluded that a formal investigation was not necessary and did not engage with Khan directly regarding his conduct, particularly after the alleged victim chose not to file an official complaint.
Sources close to the woman, who remains employed at the court, revealed that her decision not to pursue a complaint stemmed from a lack of confidence in the internal oversight body. Recently, she has called upon the assembly of ICC member states to conduct an independent investigation into the matter.
The news organization gathered information regarding the allegations through whistleblower documents submitted to the oversight body, alongside interviews with eight ICC employees and associates of the woman. Those who provided information did so under anonymity due to the sensitive nature of the claims and fears of reprisal.
Among the accusations detailed in the documentation is an incident during a trip abroad, where Khan allegedly invited the woman to rest with him on his hotel bed and subsequently touched her inappropriately. Additionally, there are claims that he showed up at her hotel room at 3 a.m., knocking on the door persistently for around ten minutes.
Other alleged acts of nonconsensual behavior mentioned involved him locking his office door and reaching into her pocket. He reportedly asked her multiple times if she would like to take a vacation together. While the oversight body concluded that no wrongdoing could be substantiated before terminating its initial investigation, it did recommend in a memo that Khan limit his interactions with the woman to ensure all parties’ rights were protected while also upholding the integrity of the court.