The chief prosecutor at the International Criminal Court (ICC) is to face an external investigation over accusations of sexual misconduct, it has been revealed. Karim Khan, who is British, said he would engage in the process but continue in his role while the investigation was ongoing.
He has publicly denied all the allegations.
It was Mr Khan, 54, who earlier announced that the ICC, based in The Hague, had issued an arrest warrant for Russian President Vladimir Putin for alleged crimes against the children of Ukraine.
With respect to the allegations of sexual misconduct against him, the chief prosecutor had requested an investigation by the court’s watchdog, but the ICC’s governing body has now announced it will pursue an “external investigation”.
The declaration followed media reports about a document outlining accusations against Mr Khan, understood to include unwanted sexual touching and “abuse”.
In a statement, Mr Khan said he “had previously called for an investigation in relation to this matter”.
“I welcome the opportunity to engage in this process,” he said, adding he would continue “all other functions as prosecutor” while the investigation is ongoing.
Any issues relevant to the investigation into allegations against him would be handled by deputy prosecutors not reporting to him, “so as to ensure that the rights of all persons are fully respected,” he said.
It is understood a woman who claims to have been subjected to unwanted sexual advances by Mr Khan had raised concerns about the competence of the Independent Oversight Mechanism (IOM), the ICC’s watchdog.
Mr Khan is alleged to have responded to a formal sexual misconduct complaint against him by trying to persuade the alleged victim that she should deny the claims, despite having been advised to avoid one-to-one contact.
But Mr Khan has denied asking the woman to withdraw any allegations.
Paivi Kaukoranta, the president of the body charged with overseeing the court, last month said the IOM had been in contact with the alleged victim, but said it was not in a position to proceed with an investigation at that stage.
In a statement, she defended the IOM’s ability to carry out the investigation but said that “given the particular circumstances,” she did not object to “exceptionally resorting to an external investigation”.
“An external investigation is therefore being pursued in order to ensure a fully independent, impartial and fair process,” she said.
The announcement also comes amid intense scrutiny of the ICC and Mr Khan after the prosecutor’s request for arrest warrants linked to the conflict in Gaza.
In May, Mr Khan said there were reasonable grounds to believe that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and then-defence minister Yoav Gallant, and Hamas leaders Yahiya Sinwar, Mohammed Deif and Ismail Haniyeh bore criminal responsibility for war crimes and crimes against humanity from the day of Hamas’s attack on Israel on 7 October onwards.
Sinwar, Deif and Haniyeh have all since been killed by Israel.
But the sexual misconduct allegations are understood to pre-date his request for arrest warrants linked to the conflict in Gaza.
A panel of three ICC judges is currently considering the arrest warrants requested by Mr Khan.
