ICC governing body set to rule on prosecutor Karim Khan misconduct claims

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The International Criminal Court's governing body is meeting to consider a judicial panel's report on sexual misconduct allegations against chief prosecutor Karim Khan. The 21-member Bureau of the Assembly of States Parties will decide whether to suspend or remove Khan, who has been on leave since May 2024. The report, judged to the 'beyond reasonable doubt' standard, remains confidential and its conclusions have not been made public.

ICC governing body set to rule on prosecutor Karim Khan misconduct claims Sondos Asem on Mon, 03/16/2026 - 10:34 The 21-member Bureau of the Assembly of States Parties meets in The Hague to discuss a judicial panel report on allegations of sexual misconduct facing the chief prosecutor ICC Chief Prosecutor Karim Khan has been on leave since May 2024 pending a sexual misconduct probe (AFP/file photo) Off The International Criminal Court’s executive body is meeting on Monday to discuss its response to a judicial report on allegations of sexual misconduct facing the court’s chief prosecutor Karim Khan. The report, by an independent panel of three judges, is understood to advise the 21-member Bureau of the Assembly of States Parties (ASP) whether Khan has committed serious misconduct, less serious misconduct, or no misconduct at all. The judges have followed the standard of "beyond reasonable doubt", the highest standard of proof in criminal law. Khan has strenuously denied all allegations of sexual misconduct. The report, which was sent to the ASP bureau last week, will not be made publicly available, and has not been seen by the prosecutor or the majority of the court's 125 member states. (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); Only members of the bureau have been handed copies of the highly confidential report, diplomatic sources told Middle East Eye. Since December, the panel has been examining an external report conducted by the UN Office of Internal Oversight Services (OIOS) into the allegations against Khan. The OIOS investigation was commissioned by the ASP presidency in November 2024 following media reports that a member of Khan's office had accused him of sexual assault and after the complainant refused to cooperate with the ICC’s own investigative body, the Internal Oversight Mechanism (IOM). The judges' report provides non-binding advice to the ASP's leadership regarding whether a finding of misconduct has been established. According to an internal ASP document seen by MEE, in the event of a finding of serious misconduct or misconduct of a less serious nature, the bureau may decide to suspend Khan pending a final resolution in the case. Exclusive: UK confirms phone call between Cameron and ICC’s Karim Khan Read More » In either case, Khan would be given 30 days to respond to the report and to attend a hearing. If the bureau approves a finding of serious misconduct, and following the hearing, the 125 members of the court must vote by an absolute majority (63 states) to remove Khan from office. It remains unclear whether bureau members will reach a decision during Monday's meeting. "The bureau will either form a view or agree on a process," a member of the ASP told MEE on condition of anonymity. "The issues are complex. Delegates take instructions from capitals," said the diplomat. "It’s an adjucative responsibility. We need to compare notes and try to convince each other. It’s a diverse matter." (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); "Some states parties might come ready to make a decision", added the source. "There will be an attempt to do this today." Khan has been on a voluntary leave of absence since May last year. His deputy prosecutors have been in charge of his office in his absence. The investigation has cast a long shadow over the court’s leadership, with prolonged uncertainty over the future of the prosecutor raising concerns among diplomats and staff about the court’s ability to fulfil its mandate during the transitional state of limbo. Prior to his leave, Khan and his deputies had been busy investigating atrocity crimes in a dozen situations, including Palestine, Ukraine, Sudan, Afghanistan, Libya, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and the Philippines.  Sanctions and threats Since Khan's decision to apply for arrest warrants for Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and then defence minister Yoav Gallant in May 2024, the court has faced a ferocious campaign by Israel and its allies, primarily the US, attempting to pressure him to drop the investigation into alleged war crimes by Israeli leaders. (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); Since February 2025, US President Donald Trump's administration has imposed financial and visa sanctions on Khan, his two deputy prosecutors, six judges, the UN’s special rapporteur on Palestine and three Palestinian NGOs in connection with the Israel-Palestine investigation. Exclusive: How Karim Khan’s Israel war crimes probe was derailed by threats, leaks and sex claims Read More » The US has also threatened sanctions against the court itself, which ICC officials consider a "doomsday scenario". ICC judges are currently examining an Israeli challenge to its jurisdiction over the Palestine situation, and a separate Israeli complaint, filed on 17 November, which seeks to disqualify the prosecutor over alleged lack of impartiality. ME