ICC chief prosecutor suspended pending decision by oversight body over sexual misconduct allegations

THE HAGUE, Netherlands (AP) — The embattled main authoritative of the International Criminal Court was suspended from his duties precocious Monday, aft the court’s oversight assemblage referred Karim Khan for disciplinary proceedings.

In a ungraded that has dragged connected for much than 2 years, Khan is facing allegations of intersexual misconduct with a pistillate aide. He has steadfastly denied immoderate wrongdoing.

A last determination connected the destiny of the British barrister is present up to the Assembly of States Parties, the assemblage that oversees the ICC, which volition clasp a peculiar league to determine if Khan tin stay successful his occupation astatine the planetary court.

The Bureau of the Assembly of States parties — the enforcement committee of the court’s oversight assemblage — said successful a connection connected Monday that it based its appraisal connected “on the study of an probe undertaken by the United Nations Office of Internal Oversight Services (OIOS), the underlying evidence, the proposal of an advertisement hoc Panel of judicial experts, and written submissions.”

The U.N. probe recovered grounds that Khan had “nonconsensual intersexual interaction with (the aide) successful his office, astatine his backstage residence, and whilst connected mission,” according to a transcript of its study seen by The Associated Press. However, a three-judge sheet selected by the enforcement committee for a ineligible appraisal of the findings recovered that the probe was not conclusive enough.

Khan had already temporarily stepped down successful May 2025 pending the result of the investigation. The process is unprecedented for the ICC, and the Assembly of States Parties has had to repeatedly make caller rules to accommodate the situation.

The allegations against Khan were archetypal reported to the court’s autarkic watchdog much than 2 years ago. An AP probe revealed that Khan was alleged to person seen the pistillate moving successful different ICC section and moved her into his office. She aboriginal became a regular beingness connected authoritative trips, according to whistleblower documents.

On 1 overseas trip, Khan allegedly asked her to remainder with him connected a edifice furniture and past “sexually touched her,” the documents said. Other alleged nonconsensual behaviour cited successful the documents included locking the doorway of his bureau and sticking his manus successful her pocket. He besides allegedly asked her respective times to travel him connected a vacation.

Only the Assembly of States Parties has the authorization to region Khan from office, a determination that would necessitate a bulk successful a concealed ballot of its 125 subordinate states. Sixty-three countries would request to enactment a measurement to region him.

No day was instantly acceptable for the session, but the assembly said it would beryllium convened arsenic soon arsenic possible.

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