Karim Khan, the chief prosecutor of the International Criminal Court, has been suspended while the court’s member states review disciplinary actions against him, intensifying the institution’s ongoing turmoil that has persisted for nearly two years.
The Assembly of States Parties’ 21-member bureau confirmed Monday night that it has addressed allegations of sexual misconduct against Prosecutor Khan but kept the decision and supporting documentation confidential. The case has been forwarded to the full assembly for final disciplinary measures.
Sources indicate that a majority of bureau members deemed Mr. Khan—currently on voluntary leave—guilty of serious misconduct. However, his removal requires a majority vote from the full assembly, underscoring the high threshold for termination under ICC rules.
Though this development marks procedural progress, it does not guarantee his removal. Khan’s legal team has condemned the ruling, calling it “unlawful, procedurally unjust, and unsupported by evidence,” per a statement from his representatives.
The suspension, mandated under ICC regulations for “sufficiently serious” allegations, does not conclusively determine his fate. The bureau clarified that the measure reflects a procedural step, not a final verdict on the matter.
Allegations emerged in May 2024 when an employee accused Khan of non-consensual sexual contact. Khan, who had already temporarily stepped down in May 2025 pending the U.N.-led investigation, denied all claims. The U.N. team found evidence of “non-consensual sexual contact” and retaliation against employees who reported the accuser, according to judges’ summaries obtained by The New York Times.
The judges’ legal team, reviewing the U.N. findings, unanimously concluded the evidence lacked the “beyond a reasonable doubt” threshold required for formal misconduct rulings. Despite this, the assembly voted in April to proceed with disciplinary protocols, allowing Khan and the accuser to submit additional evidence.
This prolonged process has created uncertainty at the ICC, an institution established in 2002 to address genocide, war crimes, and other atrocities. Critics, including former Human Rights Watch director Kenneth Roth, question whether Khan’s compromised credibility could hinder the court’s operations. Roth remarked, “A chief prosecutor needs to be known for the truth. If the bureau has repudiated Khan’s denials, it shreds his credibility and raises important questions as to whether he should even continue to contest the charges, as opposed to resigning for the benefit of the court.”
Transparency lapses were noted when the court initially omitted an internal investigation following the May 2024 accusations. The allegations first reached public attention via the Daily Mail in October 2024, which reported a female employee’s complaint about Khan’s conduct toward a colleague. Subsequent Guardian reports alleged Khan attempted to suppress the accuser’s claims.
Following these disclosures, the court commissioned an independent U.N. inquiry in November 2024 to ensure impartiality. Khan resumed limited duties in May 2025, though the investigation’s unresolved findings continue to cast doubt on his leadership role. The reticence of U.N. investigators to assess witness credibility further complicated the court’s ability to reach a definitive conclusion.