ICC prosecutor suspended pending vote on sexual misconduct claims

Karim Khan rejects suspension arsenic ICC governing assemblage refers him to disciplinary proceedings earlier subordinate states.

The International Criminal Court’s main prosecutor, Karim Khan, has been suspended from his duties, the tribunal’s governing assemblage said, pursuing a probe into intersexual misconduct allegations.

In a connection connected Monday, the Bureau of the Assembly of States Parties said it volition notation Khan to disciplinary proceedings earlier each 125 ICC subordinate states, which volition ballot connected his destiny successful a peculiar session.

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“This suspension is not an denotation of the last outcome,” it said.

The bureau, which is the enforcement committee of the court’s oversight body, said it referred Khan aft making its ain determination connected the disciplinary proceedings involving the prosecutor.

It said the determination was based connected a study of a United Nations investigation, the proposal of an advertisement hoc sheet of judicial experts, and written submissions, but did not springiness details astir what it had decided.

“The determination of the ⁠Bureau and the related documentation volition stay confidential,” the connection said.

Khan’s lawyers ⁠said successful a connection that helium rejected the determination successful the strongest terms, and repeated his denial of immoderate wrongdoing.

“The determination is unlawful, procedurally unfair and unsupported by evidence,” the connection said.

Khan, 56, drew planetary attraction erstwhile helium applied for warrants against Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and then-Minister of Defence Yoav Gallant for warfare crimes and crimes against humanity committed successful Gaza.

He besides sought warrants for Hamas leaders, including Yahya Sinwar, for the October 7, 2023, onslaught connected confederate Israel.

Khan was among the archetypal to beryllium sanctioned by Israel’s ally, the United States, which expressed outrage implicit the apprehension warrants.

He has maintained that the misconduct probe is simply a politically motivated smear campaign.

According to Reuters and the Associated Press quality agencies, the UN probe recovered a “factual basis” for the allegations of intersexual misconduct made by a pistillate aide. However, a three-judge sheet selected by the enforcement committee for a ineligible appraisal of the findings recovered that the probe was not conclusive enough.

Khan’s lawyers had antecedently told Reuters that the judges had unanimously concluded that the “factual findings bash not found misconduct oregon breach of duty”.

Khan has not led the ICC’s Office of the Prosecutor since ⁠last May, erstwhile helium took a voluntary permission of absence pending the result of the inquiry.

He is the archetypal ICC authoritative to beryllium formally suspended from his relation by the court’s oversight body.

Only the Assembly of States Parties has the authorization to region Khan from office, a determination that would necessitate a bulk successful a concealed ballot of its 125 subordinate states.

Sixty-three countries would request to enactment a measurement to region him.

No day was instantly acceptable for the session.

Khan’s suspension volition person small applicable interaction connected the functioning of the court, fixed his existing permission of absence.

He has already been removed from pleading successful the ICC’s astir high-profile existent case, against erstwhile Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte.