Karim Khan, 54, the chief prosecutor of the International Criminal Court in The Hague has faced allegations of misconduct related to harassment claims involving a female colleague, The Mail reported on Sunday.
Paivi Kaukoranta, President of the Assembly of States Parties, which oversees the court, said she was aware of public reports about alleged misconduct by the ICC Prosecutor toward a staff member. She added: “Following the conversation with the alleged victim, the court’s Independent Oversight Mechanism (IOM) was not in a position to proceed with an investigation at that stage.”
“The Court has a zero-tolerance policy towards prohibited conduct, such as harassment, including sexual harassment, discrimination, and abuse of authority. Any reports of misconduct are taken very seriously, with full respect for the presumption of innocence, as well as the duty of care towards ICC personnel.”
Douglas Murray noted that Khan’s brother served time in the UK for sexually assaulting a minor.
British lawyer Karim Khan faces allegations of misconduct following sexual harassment claim. Karim Khan’s brother has previously been convicted and imprisoned in Britain for sexually assaulting a minor. https://t.co/vFvECXzjkM
— Douglas Murray (@DouglasKMurray) October 20, 2024
In May, Khan, a respectable British barrister, announced he was seeking arrest warrants for Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on charges of war crimes and crimes against humanity over the October 7 attacks on Israel and the subsequent war in Gaza (Hague Prosecutor Wants Arrest Warrants Against Sinwar and Netanyahu).
The Mail’s report indicated that in the two weeks leading up to his shocking announcement about his intent to seek the arrest of Netanyahu (and DM Yoav Gallant), Khan was subject to internal examination at the ICC. According to sources, a female official at the court raised concerns regarding Khan’s behavior toward a colleague, who subsequently relayed this information to senior management.
The complaining woman was reportedly in tears.
The court’s IOM officials, responsible for investigating allegations of misconduct within the court, interviewed the woman, but she opted not to file a formal complaint. She also chose not to affirm or refute the account provided to court management by her colleague.
The conservative government, headed by Rishi Sunak, questioned the ICC’s jurisdiction over Israeli citizens. But then Labour won the elections and the new PM, Sir Keir Starmer, stated he would not object to Khan’s request, and the courts had to rule on its merit.
