Khan Who Issued Netanyahu Arrest Warrant, Faces Sex Misconduct Proceedings
The Chief Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court (ICC), Karim Khan, who issued a warrant arrest against Israeli Prime Minister, Benjamin Natanyahu, is set to face disciplinary proceedings over allegations of sexual misconduct, deepening the crisis rocking the world’s top war crimes tribunal.
Khan, who leads prosecutions on genocide, war crimes and crimes against humanity at the International Criminal Court, has stepped aside temporarily pending the outcome of an inquiry into the claims, according to Sky News.
He has been accused of engaging in a non-consensual sexual interaction with a female lawyer within his office. However, Khan has firmly denied any wrongdoing.
Sources reportedly said a core group of ICC member states voted on Wednesday to proceed with disciplinary measures, with 15 countries backing the move, two abstaining, and four opposing it.
The development marks another turbulent chapter for the Hague-based court, which has been under intense global scrutiny in recent months.
A report by United Nations investigators reportedly found a “factual basis” for the allegations and stated that witness testimonies “lend support to her claims.”
However, a separate review conducted by three judges concluded that the evidence did not meet the threshold required to establish the allegations “beyond a reasonable doubt.”
Lawyers representing Khan had earlier insisted that the judicial panel unanimously determined that the “factual findings do not establish misconduct or breach of duty.”
Despite this, divisions have emerged among ICC member states.
A bloc of African countries reportedly pushed for the matter to be dropped, arguing that the judges’ findings effectively cleared the prosecutor.
But several Western nations, considered key financial and political backers of the court, voted to allow the disciplinary process to continue.
Further complicating matters, officials within the prosecutor’s office themselves have expressed opposition to Khan remaining in his role, with a letter conveying their concerns read during Wednesday’s deliberations.
The ICC has reportedly declined to issue an official statement, citing the ongoing nature of the proceedings.
The unfolding scandal comes at a particularly sensitive time for the ICC, which has been embroiled in geopolitical tensions following its decision to issue arrest warrants against Netanyahu and former Defence Minister Yoav Gallant in 2025.
The warrants, tied to alleged war crimes and crimes against humanity in the Gaza conflict, triggered sharp backlash from Israel and its allies, particularly the United States.
Washington responded with sanctions targeting ICC officials, a move widely criticised by human rights groups as an attack on international justice mechanisms.
Israel, which is not a member of the ICC, has rejected the court’s jurisdiction and strongly denied the allegations against its leaders.
Netanyahu has described the ICC’s actions as politically motivated and anti-Semitic, while insisting that Israel’s military operations comply with international law.
