ICC chief prosecutor Karim Khan suspended pending decision by oversight assembly in sexual misconduct case

Karim Khan, chief prosecutor of the International Criminal Court, was suspended from his duties late Monday in The Hague, Netherlands, after the ICC oversight body referred him for disciplinary proceedings connected to allegations of sexual misconduct. The decision was announced after an investigation and an internal legal assessment process within the court’s governance structure, and it shifts immediate authority to keep the office functioning while member states decide next steps.

The ICC case centers on allegations involving a female aide. According to reporting based on a U.N. Office of Internal Oversight Services investigation, investigators found evidence described as “nonconsensual sexual contact” with the aide in multiple settings, including in Khan’s office, at his private residence, and while on mission. Khan has denied any wrongdoing and has maintained that he did not act improperly.

In addition to the U.N. findings, the oversight process included a legal assessment by an ad hoc panel of judicial experts. Reporting on the assessment said the panel concluded the investigation was not conclusive enough to reach a final determination through that track, a point that became relevant to the oversight body’s choice to move to disciplinary proceedings rather than issue an immediate conclusion.

The executive committee of the ICC oversight body, known as the Bureau of the Assembly of States Parties, said the suspension was based on the U.N. investigation report, the underlying evidence, advice from the panel of judicial experts, and written submissions from Khan. The Bureau also stated the suspension pending the member states meeting is not an indication of a final outcome, emphasizing that the question of Khan’s continued service would be decided by the Assembly of States Parties.

The Assembly of States Parties, which oversees the ICC, is expected to hold a special session to vote on Khan’s status. Reporting said the Bureau relied on that meeting to complete the governance step after the referral for disciplinary proceedings. Khan’s legal team was reported as preparing to issue a response, and he had previously stepped down temporarily as the matter progressed through earlier stages.

The suspension raises practical questions about continuity within the ICC Prosecutor’s Office as investigations and case management proceed under interim arrangements, though specific staffing decisions were not detailed in the coverage available for this report. International criminal justice efforts depend on uninterrupted prosecutorial operations, particularly for ongoing cases and administrative deadlines, so the interim period could affect timelines even as the institution preserves due process.

For member states, the vote will be the central procedural checkpoint that determines whether Khan can return to the chief prosecutor position or whether further disciplinary steps follow. The oversight body’s process, including reliance on a U.N. internal investigation and a judicial experts panel, also illustrates the ICC’s internal checks on senior leadership conduct, with the outcome likely to be reviewed as a matter of institutional accountability within an organization that is already closely scrutinized by countries that fund and govern it.