The International Criminal Court (ICC) in The Hague has temporarily suspended Chief Prosecutor Karim Khan during an investigation into allegations of sexual misconduct, Reuters and De Standaard report.
Source: Gazeta.UA
The decision was taken on June 8 by a majority vote of the Bureau of the Assembly of States Parties to the Rome Statute of the ICC. It followed disciplinary proceedings and a report from an investigation conducted by the UN Office of Internal Oversight.
The Bureau stressed that the suspension is a temporary measure and does not constitute a final conclusion in the case. A final decision will be made by the Assembly of States Parties to the ICC.
The allegations against the 56-year-old prosecutor by a staff member in his Hague office became public in late October 2024. She claimed the case involved prolonged harassment and non-consensual sexual acts.
The investigation lasted about 18 months and, according to international media, established evidence of non-consensual sexual contact. Karim Khan denies the allegations, calling them a “fabricated campaign” linked to political decisions made by the court.
Since May 2025, he has been on administrative leave pending the investigation.
His lawyers called the suspension decision “illegal and procedurally unfair.”
Karim Khan is known for initiating in 2023 an arrest warrant for Russian President Vladimir Putin over the unlawful deportation of Ukrainian children, and in 2024 for seeking warrants against Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu over the Gaza conflict.
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