Investigated ICC Prosecutor Temporarily Steps Down
Rewritten Article:
Karim Khan, the prominent chief prosecutor of the International Criminal Court (ICC), is currently under investigation for alleged sexual misconduct.
At 55, Khan denies these accusations that emerged in November. In response, he decided to take a leave of absence until the UN's Office of Internal Oversight Services completes its investigation. While he's away, his deputy prosecutors will run the office.
Khan assumed his role with the Hague-based court in June 2021, bringing a career filled with contentious legal work to the table. His resume lists stints defending high-profile individuals, such as Liberia's former president Charles Taylor, Kenya's President William Ruto, and Seif al-Islam, the son of late Libyan leader Moamer Kadhafi. He even secured ICC warrants against Russian President Vladimir Putin and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
The ICC investigates and prosecutes genocide, war crimes, crimes against humanity, and the crime of aggression. However, its rulings are binding only upon member countries, as the organization lacks enforcement capabilities.
Born in Scotland, Khan went to King's College, London, for his undergraduate law studies. A Pakistani father, a British mother, and a member of the Ahmadiyya Muslim sect, his diverse background added to his international perspective.
Post-law school, Khan dove into international law, working at the former Yugoslav and Rwandan war crimes courts from 1997 to 2000. Later, he represented survivors and victims' relatives during the 1970s Khmer Rouge regime trials in Cambodia. He also had a stint at the Hague-based Special Tribunal for Lebanon, established to prosecute the killers of Lebanese ex-PM Rafic Hariri in 2005.
The current allegations against Khan have cast a new light on his once-respected career. With the UN's internal investigation underway, Khan's future at the ICC remains unclear.
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Throughout his career, Karim Khan has made headlines for his controversial legal work. Before becoming the ICC's chief prosecutor, he led the UN team investigating ISIS atrocities in Iraq and took on various high-profile international cases. In his campaign to secure the ICC prosecutor position, Khan promised to address misconduct within the organization. However, the allegations against him have raised questions about his commitment to his own promises. If found guilty, Khan may not only face personal consequences but could also impact the ICC's standing and operations as an institution.
© 2025 AFP
- The allegations against Karim Khan, the international chief prosecutor of the ICC, have raised questions about his commitment to addressing misconduct within the organization, given his past promises.
- If found guilty of the sexual misconduct allegations, Karim Khan may not only face personal consequences but potentially impact the ICC's standing and operations as an institution.
- In his career, Karim Khan has secured ICC warrants against high-profile political leaders, including Russia's President Vladimir Putin and Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, demonstrating his involvement in general-news and crime-and-justice matters at an international level.
