Karim Khan suspended as ICC chief prosecutor amid sexual misconduct allegations

The governing bureau of the International Criminal Court’s Assembly of States Parties suspended chief prosecutor Karim Khan with immediate effect, pending a special session where the 125 member states will vote on his possible removal. The suspension follows an 18‑month United Nations Office of Internal Oversight Services investigation that found evidence of non‑consensual sexual contact between Khan and a female staff member in his office, home and during official trips. An independent three‑judge panel concluded the proof was insufficient to establish serious misconduct beyond reasonable doubt, but the ICC bureau ruled the conduct constituted serious misconduct and referred the case to the full Assembly. Khan, who has led the ICC since 2021 and previously sought arrest warrants for Russian President Vladimir Putin and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, denied all allegations and described the process as procedurally unfair. He has been on voluntary leave since May 2025, and the suspension is said to have little practical impact on the Court’s operations. The bureau emphasized that the suspension “is not an indication of the final outcome.”