An international court that loves lecturing Americans on “rule of law” is now drowning in its own misconduct scandal at the very top.
Story Snapshot
- The International Criminal Court’s chief prosecutor Karim Khan has been suspended over serious sexual misconduct findings.
- A United Nations probe reported evidence of non-consensual sexual contact by Khan with a female aide in multiple locations.[4]
- A separate panel of judges later said the same evidence did not prove misconduct “beyond a reasonable doubt,” creating sharp internal conflict.[4]
- The court’s governing bureau still ruled Khan committed serious misconduct and pushed his case to all 125 member states for a removal vote.[1][3]
ICC Prosecutor Suspended After Misconduct Probe
The International Criminal Court’s chief prosecutor, British lawyer Karim Khan, has been formally suspended from his job after an eighteen‑month investigation into sexual misconduct claims by a female aide.[1][2][3] The court’s executive bureau, which is its top oversight group, said he committed “serious misconduct” after accusations that he had non‑consensual sexual interactions with a lawyer in his office.[1][3] Khan has been removed from his duties while all 125 member countries prepare to vote on whether to fire him.[1][3]
The bureau’s move is unprecedented for the International Criminal Court and marks the first time a chief prosecutor has been suspended over personal conduct.[1] The bureau said it reached its decision after reviewing a full investigation by the United Nations Office of Internal Oversight Services, along with the underlying evidence and legal advice from a special panel of judicial experts.[2] A diplomatic source told reporters that the bureau will recommend removal from office when member states meet in a special session.[1]
What The UN Investigation Says Happened
Documents reported by the Associated Press show that United Nations investigators found evidence that Khan had “nonconsensual sexual contact” with the female aide in several places, including his office, his private home, and while on official trips.[4] According to whistleblower documents, he allegedly moved the woman into his office after noticing her in another department and then had her travel with him frequently.[4] On one trip, he allegedly asked her to lie on a hotel bed with him and sexually touched her, then later knocked on her door at 3 a.m. for ten minutes.[4]
Other alleged behavior in those records includes locking his office door, sticking his hand into her pocket, and asking her multiple times to go on vacation with him.[4] Two coworkers reported the alleged misconduct to the court’s internal watchdog in May 2024, but the case was closed after just five days when the woman chose not to file a formal complaint because she feared retaliation.[4] The later United Nations investigation, however, went forward and produced a large evidence file, reportedly more than 5,000 pages, that formed the backbone of the current disciplinary case.[2][4]
Conflicting Findings Inside The Court
Even as the United Nations investigation pointed to non‑consensual conduct, a three‑judge panel appointed by the Assembly of States Parties reached a very different legal conclusion.[4] That panel reviewed the same material and said the findings “do not establish misconduct or breach of duty under the relevant legal framework.”[4] The judges said they were required to use the strict criminal standard of “beyond a reasonable doubt” and found that the evidence did not reach that level.[4]
The judges criticized the United Nations investigators for failing to clearly say which witnesses they found credible and for leaving “narrative inconsistencies” unresolved.[4] Their eighty‑five‑page legal assessment said that more disputes about the facts would need to be settled before anyone could fully describe what happened.[4] They also stressed that the United Nations office only gathered facts and did not decide whether those facts counted as misconduct under court rules.[4] Their advice is not binding on the Assembly, which still controls Khan’s future.[4]
Political Shockwaves And Credibility Questions
The timing of the scandal has fueled political fire around the court’s work. Khan is the same prosecutor who sought arrest warrants against Israeli leaders over the Gaza war, moves that many conservatives and some U.S. officials saw as a direct challenge to national sovereignty.[2][3] Now the court that tries to sit in judgment over American soldiers and allies is struggling to handle basic workplace standards for its own top prosecutor. The split between the United Nations findings and the judges’ legal review deepens questions about how this global body polices itself.[1][2][4]
The oversight body supervising the ICC announced the suspension of Prosecutor Karim Khan and referred him to disciplinary proceedings over allegations of misconduct, in an unprecedented step in the court’s history.
The decision comes at a time when Khan has faced increasing… pic.twitter.com/idUVIf5djG
— Quds News Network (@QudsNen) June 9, 2026
Khan’s lawyers say he “categorically denies” any non‑consensual sexual contact or even a consensual sexual relationship with the aide and call the case a “political smear campaign” pushed by powerful actors.[2][4] He says the bureau’s suspension decision is “unlawful, procedurally unfair, and unsupported by evidence.”[1] Yet the bureau still moved forward, declaring serious misconduct and sending the case to national governments for a final vote.[1][3] Until those states act, the International Criminal Court remains trapped between rival findings, damaged credibility, and its own demand that others respect the rule of law.
Sources:
[1] Web – U.N. court chief prosecutor suspended over sexual misconduct …
[2] Web – ICC prosecutor Karim Khan suspended over misconduct allegations
[3] Web – International Criminal Court chief prosecutor Karim Khan suspended …
[4] Web – ICC prosecutor suspended over sexual misconduct allegations
