Karim Khan, the chief prosecutor of the International Criminal Court, allegedly attempted to dissuade a former colleague from pursuing a formal complaint of sexual misconduct against him, according to sources close to the situation, as reported by The Guardian.
Several ICC staff members familiar with the allegations assert that Khan and a close associate repeatedly pressured the woman to recant her claims. These alleged actions, reportedly aimed at preventing a formal investigation, occurred through both phone conversations and in-person meetings, according to four individuals with direct knowledge of the events.
At the time of these alleged incidents, court authorities had advised Khan to avoid private interactions with the woman following an incomplete internal review.
Karim Ahmad Khan, 54, a British lawyer, has served as Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court since 2021. Last May, he picked the occasion of an interview with CNN’s Christiane Amanpour to announce that he was seeking arrest warrants for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Yoav Gallant on charges of war crimes and crimes against humanity.
In late August, UK Lawyers for Israel (UKLFI) sent a letter to Khan, alleging several breaches of conduct. UKLFI analyzed Khan’s public statement and claims that every aspect of it contradicts publicly available information, including significant developments that emerged after May 20, 2024.
In one instance, the Prosecutor based his case on a March 18, 2024 report claiming famine presence and imminence in Gaza. However, on June 4, 2024, after the Prosecutor’s applications, the Famine Review Committee (FRC) for the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) published a review that found the March 18 report “implausible” due to seriously inadequate information. Despite this, the Prosecutor has requested the Court to issue arrest warrants based on his original applications, disregarding these subsequent findings.
The woman at the center of the allegations—described by ICC colleagues as a respected lawyer in her 30s who worked closely with Khan—has declined to comment publicly. However, multiple individuals with knowledge of the situation said she confided in colleagues, expressing that she resisted alleged pressure to retract her claims. According to these sources, the woman perceived the alleged efforts by Khan and another ICC official as an attempt to prompt her to assert that her accusations against the prosecutor were unfounded.
According to four ICC sources with knowledge of the allegations, the claims include accusations of coercive sexual behavior and abuse of authority.
The Guardian conducted interviews with 11 current and former ICC officials familiar with the case, along with diplomatic sources and friends of the alleged victim. All spoke on condition of anonymity, either due to a lack of authorization to discuss the matter or to protect the woman’s privacy.
Multiple sources reported that mischaracterizations of the allegations and attempts to politicize the case have added significant distress for the woman, who, they said, was initially reluctant to file a complaint against Khan. Her hesitation stemmed from concerns about potential retaliation and the risk that her case might be used by Israel or other critics of the ICC for political leverage.
