ICC chief prosecutor Karim Khan suspended amid inquiry into sexual misconduct allegations

The International Criminal Court's chief prosecutor, Karim Khan, has been suspended from his position after the tribunal's governing body concluded a probe into sexual misconduct allegations.

The Bureau of the Assembly of States Parties voted to refer his case to disciplinary proceedings.

It announced that all 125 ICC member states will convene in a special session to vote on Khan's fate.

"This suspension is not an indication of the final outcome," the bureau said in a statement, adding that the decision and related documents would remain confidential.

The bureau, the executive committee of the court's oversight body, said its referral was informed by a United Nations investigation report, advice from an ad hoc panel of judicial experts, and written submissions, though it did not disclose the substance of its findings.

"The decision is unlawful, procedurally unfair and unsupported by evidence,” Khan's lawyers said in a statement.

Khan's legal team responded sharply, saying he rejected the decision in the strongest terms and again denied any wrongdoing.

His lawyers had previously argued that a three-judge panel reviewing the UN probe's findings had unanimously concluded that the evidence did not establish misconduct or a breach of duty.

According to Reuters and the Associated Press, however, the UN investigation did find a factual basis for allegations made by a female aide-though the judges determined the probe was not conclusive enough to act on alone.

Khan, 56, was elected ICC chief prosecutor in 2021, succeeding Fatou Bensouda. He gained international attention when he applied for arrest warrants against Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and then-Defence Minister Yoav Gallant for alleged war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza.

He also sought warrants against Hamas leaders, including Yahya Sinwar, in connection with the October 7, 2023 attacks on southern Israel.

Those moves made Khan one of the first individuals to be sanctioned by the United States, which, as a close ally of Israel, condemned the warrants in strong terms.

Khan is a well-known figure in Kenya, where he once served as lead defence counsel for President William Ruto during ICC proceedings stemming from the 2007–08 post-election violence.

That case collapsed in 2016 when judges found insufficient evidence to sustain a conviction against Ruto and journalist Joshua Sang.

Upon taking the prosecutor's role, Khan formally recused himself from all Kenya-related matters to avoid any perceived conflict of interest.

Khan has been absent from the Office of the Prosecutor since last May, when he took a voluntary leave of absence pending the outcome of the inquiry.

The special session of member states will now determine whether he can return or whether his tenure at the ICC is over.