The International Criminal Court’s chief prosecutor, Karim Khan, has been placed on administrative leave as a UN-led investigation into sexual misconduct allegations nears its conclusion, sources confirmed on Thursday.
The move comes weeks after Khan issued arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former defence minister Yoav Gallant, a decision that drew a sharp backlash from Israel and its allies.
According to The Wall Street Journal, Khan has been accused of sexually assaulting a staff member on multiple occasions. A formal statement from the court is expected imminently.
The internal complaint process, first launched in May 2024, triggered an external review under the oversight of the United Nations’ Office of Internal Oversight Services (OIOS), which typically conducts interviews and reviews internal processes in cases of this nature.
A senior Western diplomat claimed Khan privately said the warrants could push Western governments to turn against Israel, raising questions over whether political motivations influenced his decision.
The timing of the arrest warrants – issued against both Israeli and Hamas leaders – has drawn scrutiny, after Khan cancelled a planned fact-finding trip to Israel and Gaza.
Israel has condemned the case as a “modern Dreyfus trial”, with Netanyahu accusing Khan of using the court to deflect from personal scandal.
Khan denies any wrongdoing and says the warrants were issued based solely on legal evidence. His legal team has dismissed claims of political influence or misconduct as “categorically untrue,” pointing to the Pre-Trial Chamber’s approval of the warrants as proof that the legal threshold was met.
