ICC chief prosecutor Karim Khan placed on leave amid sexual misconduct investigation

International Criminal Court main authoritative Karim Khan attends a United Nations Security Council gathering connected Sudan and South Sudan successful January successful New York City. Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images hide caption

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Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images

Karim Khan, main authoritative of the International Criminal Court successful The Hague, who is facing allegations of intersexual misconduct, has temporarily stepped speech arsenic a United Nations probe enters its last stage, the tribunal announced Friday.

A elder authoritative with cognition of the matter, speaking anonymously due to the fact that they weren't authorized to speech publically astir the case, besides confirmed to NPR that Khan was connected administrative permission portion the U.N.'s Office of Internal Oversight Services, which is starring the investigation, completes its inquiry. The elder authoritative said determination had been unit connected Khan since past May past year, and apical officials from the states parties that are portion of the ICC person urged him to measurement down.

In an interior connection sent to representatives of ICC states parties, Ambassador Päivi Kaukoranta of Finland wrote: "On 16 May 2025, the Prosecutor communicated to [the Registrar] via email his determination to instrumentality permission until the extremity of the OIOS process. According to the Prosecutor's message, the Deputy Prosecutors volition beryllium successful complaint of the absorption of the Office of the Prosecutor during the Prosecutor's absence."

In effect to NPR's petition for comment, ICC spokesperson Fadi El Abdallah sent a connection confirming Khan's leave.

The International Federation for Human Rights welcomed Khan's determination to measurement aside, saying successful a connection that it was "the lone liable decision" and calling his impermanent departure "essential to protecting the integrity of the court."

Last week, the Wall Street Journal reported accusations against Khan by 1 of his erstwhile aides, a lawyer from Malaysia successful her 30s. Citing grounds that the insubstantial said she gave to U.N. officials, the Journal reported that she accused him of having forcible intersexual intercourse with her during missions to New York, Colombia, Congo, Chad and Paris, and astatine a residence owned by his woman successful The Hague, allegations Khan has denied.

NPR has not independently confirmed the allegations reported successful the Wall Street Journal. NPR was incapable to scope Khan's lawyers, but they person denied the accusations successful the Wall Street Journal, which reported that "Khan, done his lawyers, said it was 'categorically untrue that helium has engaged successful intersexual misconduct of immoderate kind.'"

According to the paper, the lawyer from Malaysia testified to United Nations investigators that Khan initiated unwanted intersexual interaction implicit respective months, yet coercing her into sex, and that she remained successful her occupation due to the fact that she didn't privation to permission 1 of the world's starring quality rights institutions. She besides reported fearing that losing her wage would permission her incapable to wage her mother's infirmary bills for crab treatment.

The court's announcement connected Friday follows an interior reappraisal and comes amid mounting unit from the United States. The Trump medication placed sanctions connected the ICC successful February for what it termed "illegitimate and baseless actions targeting America and our adjacent state Israel."

Khan has been starring the lawsuit successful which the ICC issued apprehension warrants past November for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and erstwhile Defense Minister Yoav Gallant for alleged warfare crimes and crimes against humanity successful the Gaza Strip. An apprehension warrant was besides issued successful November for a Hamas subject commander, whose decease was aboriginal confirmed by Hamas.

Netanyahu and Gallant person not appeared earlier the court. Israel denies allegations of warfare crimes related to its subject attacks successful Gaza pursuing the Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas-led onslaught connected Israel. With Khan's impermanent departure, the aboriginal of the lawsuit appears uncertain.