The leader prosecutor of the International Criminal Court (ICC) is beneath expanding power from reviews additional indicating the seriousness of allegations of sexual misconduct levelled towards him through a junior colleague.
Karim Khan, who has been the ICC’s lead prosecutor since 2021, is accused of forcing himself at the feminine assistant in a New York resort room in December 2023, in line with a record from the Wall Street Journal.
The incident is being investigated as a part of an alleged development of irrelevant touching, harassment and compelled sex perpetrated through Khan towards his accuser.
The assistant, a legal professional from Malaysia in her 30s, alleged Khan additional pressured her into sexual sex towards her will whilst on missions in New York, Colombia, Congo, Chad and Paris, in addition to his place of abode on the Hague, in line with her testimony reviewed through the US-based outlet.
Khan’s legal professionals have stated all allegations he dedicated sexual violence or misconduct are “categorically untrue”.
The accusations had been topic to an exterior investigation for the reason that finish of final yr. A prior inner investigation closed inside of 5 days with out taking any motion.
An issue of timing?
One of the problems swirling across the case is the query of the timing of Khan’s arrest warrant towards Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his former defence minister, Yoav Gallant — a transfer that noticed him individually sanctioned through the Trump management.
The arguable warrant was once issued only a fortnight after the allegations towards Khan have been officially levelled.
Critics of the courtroom’s investigations of Israel have raised the query of whether or not Khan took the extraordinary motion so that you could reinforce his symbol within the face of an imminent scandal — particularly after a number of months of grievance over the ICC’s perceived inactivity whilst Israel ramped up its struggle on Hamas in Gaza.
Israel has now demanded that the courtroom withdraw the warrants towards Netanyahu and Gallant and cancel its probe into alleged Israeli crimes in Gaza and the West Bank.
Khan’s legal professionals have denied the allegations that the warrant and the sexual misconduct accusations have been related whatsoever. Khan has mentioned that, in flip, the case towards him was once a part of a broader try to discredit the ICC.
UN’s Office of Internal Oversight Services record on Khan’s alleged misconduct is anticipated within the coming months, in line with reviews.
