ICC chief falls: Karim Khan suspended for sexual abuse and 125 countries to decide his future

The chief prosecutor of the International Criminal Court (ICC), Britain's Karim Khan, was suspended from his duties Monday night in an unprecedented move for the Hague-based court. The court's oversight body referred him for disciplinary proceedings over allegations of sexual misconduct against an assistant that have hung over him for more than two years.

The decision, reported by The Associated Press, was adopted by the Bureau of the Assembly of States Parties, i.e., the executive committee of the body that oversees the ICC. The body clarified that the suspension does not anticipate the final outcome of the case. The future of Khan, 56, will now be in the hands of the Assembly of States Parties, which will convene a special session to decide whether he can continue to lead the prosecution.

The Bureau explained that it based its decision on the report of an investigation by the United Nations Office of Internal Oversight Services (OIOS), evidence gathered, the advice of an ad hoc panel of judicial experts, and written submissions by the parties. That UN investigation concluded that Khan engaged in "non-consensual sexual contact" with the aide in his office, at his private residence and during missions abroad, according to a copy of the report accessed by the AP. A three-judge panel, however, found the findings insufficiently conclusive.

Khan has repeatedly denied any wrongdoing. His legal team announced it will issue a statement this Tuesday. The prosecutor had already temporarily stepped aside from the position in May 2025, while the probe progressed.

The allegations first came to the court's independent watchdog more than two years ago. A previous AP investigation revealed that Khan allegedly transferred the woman to his office from another department and that she went on to frequently accompany him on official trips. According to documents from internal whistleblowers, on one trip abroad he asked her to lie next to him on a hotel bed and touched her sexually; other alleged conduct included locking his office door and reaching into her pocket.

The process has no precedent at the ICC, which has had to improvise new rules on the fly. Only the Assembly of States Parties can remove Khan, in a secret ballot among its 125 member states; 63 votes in favor would be needed. No date was yet set for the session, although the body said it would meet as soon as possible.