ICC prosecutor Karim Khan faces investigation into harassment of junior staffer
Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court (ICC) Karim Khan.
What you need to know:
- The victim, who neither confirmed nor denied the allegations, declined to file a formal complaint.
- In response to the statement, Mr Khan denied the allegations, which he said were false.
International Criminal Court (ICC) prosecutor Karim Khan is facing allegations of misconduct against a member of his office.
The President of the Assembly of State Parties (ASP) to The Hague-based court, Ambassador Päivi Kaukoranta, confirmed in a press statement that the court's independent watchdog, the Independent Oversight Mechanism (IOM), had received public reports of alleged misconduct by an elected official in the Office of the Prosecutor.
The chief prosecutor is alleged to have harassed a member of his office in May, a report that was investigated by the IOM says.
"I am aware of recent public reports of alleged misconduct by the ICC Prosecutor towards a member of his office. I can confirm that this matter has been referred to the Independent Oversight Mechanism (IOM) on the basis of a third party report," the ASP President said.
The IOM took steps to seek the views of the victim before deciding to proceed with an investigation in accordance with its mandate.
While the President didn't reveal the nature of the misconduct, she did list a number of behaviour that the Court does not tolerate.
"The Tribunal has a zero-tolerance policy towards prohibited conduct such as harassment, including sexual harassment, discrimination and abuse of authority. All reports of misconduct are taken very seriously, with full respect for the presumption of innocence and the duty of care to ICC staff," she wrote.
However, the victim, who neither confirmed nor denied the allegations, declined to file a formal complaint.
The IOM said in its 2023-2024 annual report that the victim remained adamant about pursuing the case, even when it was suggested that an investigation could be referred to an external body.
"Accordingly, the IOM determined that no investigation was necessary at this time, but recommended some measures to protect the rights of all in the future, both the possible victim and the alleged subject," read part of the report.
In response to the statement, Mr Khan denied the allegations, which he said were false, and expressed surprise at learning about them from the media.
In a lengthy response posted on his X account, he maintained his innocence, adding that it was the first time in his 30 years of experience that he had faced such allegations.
"I was deeply saddened to learn that reports of misconduct regarding me were to be made public. There is no truth to the allegations of such misconduct. I have worked in various contexts for 30 years and no such complaint has ever been made against me by anyone," Mr Khan said in his post on X.
The prosecutor noted that he has been at the forefront of the fight against staff harassment and has encouraged victims to come forward to speak out against it.
He expressed his willingness to cooperate with the investigation and to provide information as needed.
He noted, however, that the Tribunal has recently been the subject of attacks and threats, which he believes may be part of this. He vowed, however, to remain steadfast in his mandate to deliver justice to the victims of international crimes.
"It has never been more important that the ICC, including myself as Prosecutor, is able to focus on its mission to deliver justice to the victims of international crimes and to demonstrate through our actions that all lives deserve the protection of international law," Mr Khan said.
