Members of the International Criminal Court (ICC) are meeting at the United Nations Headquarters in New York today to vote on whether to dismiss the court's prosecutor, Karim Khan, who faces allegations of sexual misconduct.
The vote culminates a saga spanning over two years, putting pressure on the tribunal as it investigates war crimes in Gaza. Khan, a 56-year-old barrister, is accused of sexually harassing a junior colleague who worked as his direct assistant, allegations he denies.
The accuser, identified only as Sarah, recently told CNN that Khan exhibited escalating behavior of touching and groping her, recounting an incident where he touched her intimately while she pretended to be asleep. "There is no way for something to be consensual when you have such a power disparity," Sarah said.
The ICC has suspended Khan from his official duties pending the vote, based on a UN investigative report, advice from an ad hoc panel of judicial experts, and written submissions. To fire Khan, an absolute majority of at least 63 of the court's 125 member states must agree in a secret ballot. The vote is expected at 3:00 PM local time (19:00 GMT), with results announced at 5:30 PM (21:30 GMT).
If Khan is dismissed, it would trigger an election process for a new ICC prosecutor, not expected before next year. Any active ICC warrants will remain in place, as only ICC judges can withdraw them. Khan's lawyer, Sareta Ashraph, told CNN he denies "any form of sexual contact, relationship, consensual or non-consensual" with the alleged victim.
Khan has also called the ICC process "unjustified and unlawful," arguing his suspension violated the court's own procedures. His lawyers point to a panel of independent judges who found no evidence to establish the allegations beyond a reasonable doubt. They also argue Khan should have the right to respond to charges at the vote, but he is barred from attending due to US sanctions against him.
The case against Khan has become intertwined with the ICC's high-profile investigation into Israel's war crimes in Gaza. As prosecutor, Khan sought arrest warrants in 2024 for Israeli leaders, including Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and then-Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, prompting backlash from governments and advocacy groups. The US, an Israeli ally, imposed sanctions on Khan and other ICC officials.
"Political considerations have been folded into this, especially as it is the first time a prosecutor has pursued warrants against a Western ally," said Iva Vukusic, a researcher at Utrecht University. Khan and his backers argue the case is politically motivated. Former EU chief diplomat Josep Borrell wrote that the case is "obviously part of a larger offensive against the ICC." A group of Palestinian organizations penned an open letter accusing the ICC's executive committee of "unwarranted political interference."
The accuser, Sarah, has dismissed claims that her allegations are politically driven or part of an Israeli effort to undermine Khan. "I think many parties have for their own agenda conflated the two things," Sarah told CNN, adding that such conflation "has only helped to distract and deflect from the validity" of her complaint.
Source: www.aljazeera.com