UN probes ICC Chief Prosecutor Khan over alleged sexual misconduct, retaliation against whistleblowers

UN investigators are conducting a probe into allegations of sexual misconduct involving International Criminal Court Chief Prosecutor Karim Khan, as well as claims of retaliatory actions linked to those accusations, according to a Reuters report published on Thursday.

The investigation is focused on allegations that Khan retaliated against staff members who reported his alleged sexual misconduct toward a female lawyer at the court and criticized his handling of the situation, according to sources with direct knowledge of the UN probe.

According to five sources, who requested anonymity due to fear of retaliation, Khan allegedly demoted at least four staff members in his office in connection with the allegations.

Khan’s attorneys issued a statement denying all allegations of wrongdoing and said he “looks forward to cooperating fully and transparently with the external investigation.”

The ICC became aware of the sexual misconduct claims against Khan from a third party in May 2024, according to British news sources. However, the ICC did not pursue action at the time, citing the victim’s reluctance to cooperate with the investigation.

A statement from the president of the Assembly of States Parties acknowledged the allegations of harassment in October 2024. 

Khan denied all accusations, claiming they coincided with “a campaign of misinformation against his office.”

The accusations surfaced right before he sought international criminal charges against Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant and three Hamas leaders for alleged war crimes.

ICC prosecutors are also investigating Russian President Vladimir Putin and issued an arrest warrant for the Russian president on suspicion of deporting children from Ukraine.

Neither Russia nor Israel is a member of the World Court, and both governments deny the accusations and reject ICC jurisdiction.

The filing of charges by the ICC against Netanyahu brought immediate condemnation from Israel’s allies, including the United States. U.S. President Donald Trump imposed sanctions against the ICC in February.

“The ICC has, without a legitimate basis, asserted jurisdiction over and opened preliminary investigations concerning personnel of the United States and certain of its allies, including Israel, and has further abused its power by issuing baseless arrest warrants targeting Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Former Minister of Defense Yoav Gallant,” the announcement read. “The ICC has no jurisdiction over the United States or Israel, as neither country is party to the Rome Statute or a member of the ICC.”

ICC president, Päivi Kaukoranta, says the sanctions have put the court itself at risk and “the Court has a zero-tolerance policy towards prohibited conduct, such as harassment, including sexual harassment, discrimination and abuse of authority.”

An internal report cited by the Associated Press last year revealed that a survey of approximately 900 court staff members found that 30% of respondents had experienced discrimination, abuse or harassment over the past year.