ICC prosecutor declines investigation into Venezuela due to familial ties with a key official
In a recent ruling, the International Criminal Court (ICC) Appeals Chamber ordered Chief Prosecutor Karim Khan to recuse himself from investigating alleged crimes against humanity in Venezuela. The decision was based on reasonable grounds to believe there is a conflict of interest due to Khan's family ties with Venkatesh Varadarajan, a lawyer representing the Venezuelan government in court.
The ICC began its investigation into Venezuela in 2021 at the request of Argentina, Canada, Colombia, Chile, Paraguay, and Peru, following the dissolution of the parliament by President Nicolás Maduro and the subsequent violence that resulted, leading to the death of over 100 people.
Khan's sister-in-law, Venkateswari Alagendra, is a criminal defense lawyer representing the Venezuelan regime in court. Human rights advocates had previously expressed concern about a potential conflict of interest, but Khan denied these accusations, stating that he had not discussed any confidential information about the case with Alagendra.
A statement from the prosecutor's office noted that the composition of the legal team representing Venezuela was publicly available and that no party to the proceedings objected at the time. However, the ICC Appeals Chamber reopened the case in February and, on Friday, August 1, judges ruled that given Khan's "close family ties with Mrs. Varadarajan," there are grounds for "suspecting bias."
This ruling comes amidst a series of controversies surrounding the ICC. The U.S. has considered the court to have engaged in unlawful and unjustified actions against Israel and has imposed sanctions on the court. In March 2023, a prosecutor issued an arrest warrant for Russian President Vladimir Putin, which the Kremlin called void, noting that Russia does not recognize the court's jurisdiction.
In May, Karim Khan, the Chief Prosecutor of the ICC, took administrative leave amid allegations of sexual harassment, which he denies. A year later, in March 2024, a prosecutor issued an arrest warrant for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
The ICC's investigation into Venezuela is ongoing, as stated on its website. It remains to be seen who will take over the investigation from Khan and how this development will impact the course of the investigation.
[1] International Criminal Court (ICC) Prosecutor Karim Khan ordered to recuse himself from investigating alleged crimes in Venezuela, BBC News, August 1, 2023. https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-65152828
- The controversy surrounding the International Criminal Court (ICC) deepens as Chief Prosecutor Karim Khan is ordered to recuse himself from investigating alleged crimes in Venezuela due to his close family ties with a lawyer representing the Venezuelan government in court, further straining the court's general-news credibility.
- With the ICC's investigation into Venezuela ongoing, the recusal of Chief Prosecutor Karim Khan from the case due to potential conflict of interest raises questions in crime-and-justice circles about the future direction and impartiality of the probe.
