Diplomats overseeing the International Criminal Court (ICC) have concluded that suspended Chief Prosecutor Karim Khan engaged in an inappropriate sexual relationship with a junior staff member and should be removed from his position, according to two copies of a decision reported by Reuters.
The determination was made by the executive bureau of the ICC’s governing body and follows allegations brought in 2024 by a female lawyer. Reuters reported that the decision marks the first public disclosure of details from the bureau’s findings, including its recommendation that Khan be dismissed.
A recommendation will be presented to the ICC’s 125-member Assembly of States Parties, which is scheduled to vote on Khan’s future in New York on July 24.
Khan has repeatedly rejected the allegations against him.
“The decision is unlawful, procedurally unfair and unsupported by evidence,” his lawyers said in comments sent to Reuters on Tuesday.
Khan’s legal team also cited a review conducted by judges that concluded the available evidence was insufficient to establish the allegations “beyond a reasonable doubt.”
These findings stem from an 18-month inquiry into claims that Khan engaged in non-consensual sexual relations with a female lawyer employed in his office. Khan has denied those allegations throughout the investigation.
The executive bureau’s conclusion places the matter before ICC member states, which will decide whether to accept the recommendation and remove Khan from office.
Allegations against Khan emerged while he was serving as the court’s chief prosecutor and overseeing a range of investigations and cases before the ICC.
During Khan’s tenure, the court issued arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former defense minister Yoav Gallant in connection with the Israel-Hamas war in Gaza.
