ICC Chief Prosecutor Khan Steps Down Amid Sexual Misconduct Probe

ICC Chief Prosecutor Khan Steps Down Amid Sexual Misconduct Probe

The chief prosecutor of the International Criminal Court (ICC), Karim Khan, has been forced to step down temporarily amid ongoing investigations into allegations of sexual assault against him.

Khan, who is regarded as the ‘architect’ of cases against Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and other senior Israeli officials on the absurd charges of war crimes, has been accused of several counts of ‘forcible sexual intercourse’ with a female aide among other allegations,” The Wall Street Journal reported. 

Khan reportedly told the woman to drop the sexual assault charges so he could continue his witch hunt against Israel. “The aide, a woman in her 30s, said Khan pressured her to disavow her allegations by saying they would jeopardize the court’s investigation of Israel’s war conduct,” the WSJ added.

What we learned from the rape testimony against Karim Khan:

–ICC case against Israel was *always* bogus (hence the willingness to cancel the actual investigative parts)

–anti-Zionist obsessions are usually covers for monstrous behavior

–follow the Rule of Scapegoats: pic.twitter.com/T1A0s9g8Y9

— Seth Mandel (@SethAMandel) May 13, 2025

The ICC chief prosecutor may have timed his much-publicized arrest warrants against Prime Minister Netanyahu in a bid to bury the allegations surfacing against him, new reports suggest. “An investigation by The Associated Press last year found that two court employees, in whom the alleged victim confided, reported the alleged misconduct in May 2024 to the court’s independent watchdog,” the AP News added. “That was a few weeks before Khan sought arrest warrants against Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, his defense minister, and three Hamas leaders on war crimes charges.” 

🔴 #BREAKING: ICC Prosecutor Karim Khan forced to stand down – temporarily – following grave sexual assault allegations against him and reports that he weaponized the court to manipulate the West against Israel.

Good, but not enough. Khan needs to be dismissed and the baseless… pic.twitter.com/9fzSXKOMYK

— Arsen Ostrovsky 🎗️ (@Ostrov_A) May 16, 2025

Reuters reported Khan’s temporary departure: 

The prosecutor of the International Criminal Court, Karim Khan, has stepped aside temporarily as an investigation by the United Nations into alleged sexual misconduct by him nears its end, his office said on Friday.

The move is unprecedented and there is no clear procedure for replacing Khan. The situation creates added uncertainty for the ICC, which is already facing an existential crisis due to U.S. sanctions over its arrest warrants for Israeli officials.

Khan’s office said the prosecutor had taken leave until the end of the investigation by the U.N. Office of Internal Oversight Services.

In a written statement, Khan’s attorneys rejected all allegations of wrongdoing. They said he said he had taken leave because media attention on the matter affected his ability to focus on his work but did not intend to resign.

“Our client remains the prosecutor, has not stepped down and has no intention of doing so,” law firm Carter-Ruck said.

In a letter sent to his staff and seen by Reuters, the prosecutor said that he had been keeping his position under constant review. “In light of escalating media reports, I have made the considered decision to take leave,” Khan said. (…)

Khan had earlier ignored calls by NGOs and ICC staff to step down while the investigation was under way.

The U.S. was right to sanction ICC Prosecutor Karim Khan after he went rogue.

Now we're calling on Secretary Marco Rubio to defy another rogue: Francesca Albanese. Tell @secrubio to deny her a visa, strip her immunity, and sanction her.

📍Join us here: https://t.co/XV9yn4Egw0 pic.twitter.com/OL1oy2lgDQ

— Hillel Neuer (@HillelNeuer) May 16, 2025

In May 2024, Khan sought arrest warrants against Prime Minister Netanyahu and former Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant. The Hague-based court in November 2024 granted those warrants for the two leaders for overseeing a military operation to free 24o hostages from Hamas’ captivity in the aftermath of the October 7 massacre.

By issuing the warrant against Prime Minister Netanyahu, the court ordered its 125 member states, including most European countries, to hand over the Israeli leader if he traveled to these countries. Germany and Hungary have refused to comply with these absurd orders. 

Earlier this year, President Trump placed sanctions on the ICC, reportedly crippling the kangaroo court’s ability to function. The sanctions were reimposed after President Joe Biden had lifted the restrictions placed on the court by the first Trump administration. 

“In February this year, US President Donald Trump imposed sanctions on ICC officials while Netanyahu visited Washington DC,” the BBC noted. “The ICC said the US sanctions have put the court itself at risk and called on its member states and global civil society to “stand united for justice and fundamental human rights”.”

The U.S. and Israel do not recognize the jurisdiction of the Europe-based court, which in the past has sought to prosecute American and Israeli servicemen.

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