International Criminal Court’s lead prosecutor Karim Khan has stepped down temporarily on Friday until the end of the sexual misconduct investigation into his alleged actions against a junior staff member.
The move is unprecedented and there are no clear procedures to replace him. Khan’s office has told the media ICC’s two deputy prosecutors will step in during his absence.
Khan, who has been in his role at the ICC since 2021, is accused of forcing himself on the female assistant in a New York hotel room in December 2023, according to a report from the Wall Street Journal.
The incident is being investigated as part of an alleged pattern of inappropriate touching, harassment and forced intercourse perpetrated by Khan against his accuser.
The assistant, a lawyer from Malaysia in her 30s, alleged Khan further forced her into sexual intercourse against her will while on missions in New York, Colombia, Congo, Chad and Paris, as well as his residence at the Hague, according to her testimony reviewed by the US-based outlet.
Khan’s lawyers have said all allegations he committed sexual violence or misconduct are “categorically untrue”.
UN’s Office of Internal Oversight Services report on Khan’s alleged misconduct is expected in the coming months, according to reports.
