Fri May 16 17:25:34 UTC 2025: **Summary:**

The Chief Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court (ICC), Karim Khan, has taken leave of absence pending the outcome of an investigation into allegations of sexual misconduct. The accusations, reported by the Wall Street Journal, involve a female assistant alleging unwanted touching and forced sexual intercourse in December 2023. Khan denies the allegations and has stated his willingness to cooperate with the investigation. The ICC, already facing challenges and criticism, will be led by deputy prosecutors in his absence. Khan’s tenure has been marked by high-profile investigations, including warrants for Vladimir Putin and Benjamin Netanyahu.

**News Article:**

**ICC Prosecutor Steps Aside Amid Misconduct Allegations**

**The Hague, May 16, 2025:** International Criminal Court (ICC) Chief Prosecutor Karim Khan has announced he will be taking a leave of absence effective immediately, pending the conclusion of an investigation into allegations of sexual misconduct. The announcement, made by his office earlier today, has plunged the already-controversial court into further uncertainty.

The United Nations Office of Internal Oversight Services initiated its investigation in November, following reports of allegations made against Khan by a female assistant. According to a report in The Wall Street Journal, the woman alleges that Khan sexually touched her in December 2023, and that the incidents escalated to forced sexual intercourse.

Khan, 55, has vehemently denied the allegations. “There is no truth to suggestions of such misconduct,” he stated in a communication.

In his absence, the ICC will be led by his deputy prosecutors. Khan’s tenure has been marked by significant and often divisive decisions, including the issuance of arrest warrants for Russian President Vladimir Putin and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on charges of war crimes and crimes against humanity.

Khan, a British lawyer who assumed his position in June 2021, has previously defended controversial figures, including Liberia’s former president Charles Taylor. His career has spanned numerous international tribunals, including the former Yugoslav and Rwandan war crimes courts.

The ICC, based in The Hague, investigates and prosecutes genocide, war crimes, crimes against humanity, and the crime of aggression. While its rulings are binding on member countries, its lack of enforcement power has often hampered its effectiveness.

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