ICC to investigate chief prosecutor Karim Khan – Reuters

Photo: Karim Khan

The International Criminal Court (ICC) has launched an external investigation into chief prosecutor Karim Khan over alleged sexual misconduct, two people familiar with the matter told Reuters on Friday.

An internal document circulated to ICC member states calls on Khan to step down from his duties at the international war crimes court while the investigation is ongoing.

The undated and unsigned document, seen by Reuters, was circulated to member states by staff MUS.

Khan's office referred questions to his lawyer, and phone calls and repeated requests for comment went unanswered.

Khan has denied allegations of misconduct that were reported to the court's governing body last month. He then asked an internal watchdog to investigate.

A source familiar with the matter told Reuters that an external investigation was agreed at a meeting on Thursday of a core group of the court's governing body, the Assembly of States Parties.

Reuters was unable to determine who would conduct the investigation.

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ICC judges are currently considering a request for arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, now former Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Galant and Hamas leaders that Khan filed in May. Khan said the allegations of misconduct coincided with a disinformation campaign against his office.

The internal memo said an independent internal conduct review body should have conducted a formal investigation into the allegations when they came to light.

The memo also showed pressure on Khan to temporarily step aside and allow one of his deputies to take over during the investigation.

“The prosecutor should step aside immediately to allow an independent investigation to take place,” the memo said.

A source familiar with the situation said the alleged victim in Khan’s case had concerns about the independence of the court’s internal body, whose future head is a former member of Khan’s staff.

The ICC is a permanent court that can prosecute individuals for the most serious international crimes – including genocide, aggression, crimes against humanity and war crimes. The governing body will meet for an annual meeting in early December.

Prepared by: Sergey Daga