The chief prosecutor of the International Criminal Court, Karim Khan, has been suspended due to allegations of sexual misconduct

The Hague, Netherlands – In an unprecedented move, the chief prosecutor of the International Criminal Court was suspended late Monday after the court referred British lawyer Karim Khan to disciplinary proceedings.

A 56-year-old suspect is facing allegations of sexual misconduct with a female assistant, in a scandal that has dragged him for more than two years. He strongly denied the mistakes.

The final decision on Khan’s future now rests with the Assembly of States Parties, the body that oversees the ICC, which will hold a special meeting to decide whether Khan can continue in his role at the international court.

The Bureau of the Assembly of States parties – the executive committee of the organization that oversees the court – said in a statement that it based its decision “on the report of the investigation carried out by the United Nations Office of Internal Oversight Services (OIOS), the primary evidence, the advice of the temporary Panel of legal experts, and written proposals.

It added that Khan’s suspension until the assembly meeting “is not indicative of the final outcome.”

The UN investigation found evidence that Khan “had met (with the aide) without permission in his office, residence, and work,” according to a copy of its report seen by the Associated Press. However, a three-judge panel appointed by the executive body to review the legal findings found the investigation insufficient.

When contacted for comment, Khan’s legal team said a statement would be issued on Tuesday.

Khan had already resigned temporarily in May 2025 pending the outcome of the investigation. The process has never happened at the ICC, and the Assembly of States Parties has had to repeatedly create new rules to deal with the situation.

Allegations against Khan were first reported to the independent judiciary more than two years ago. An AP investigation revealed that Khan allegedly saw the woman working in another ICC department and took her to his office. He later attended regular official visits, according to the documents that issued the report.

On one trip abroad, Khan allegedly asked her to relax in a hotel bed with him and then “sexually touched her,” the documents said. Other alleged disagreements revealed in the documents include locking his office door and putting his hand in his pocket. It is said that he has repeatedly asked her to accompany him when they go on vacation.

Only the Assembly of States Parties has the power to remove Khan from office, a move that would require a majority in a secret ballot of its 125 member states. Sixty-three countries will need to support the move to remove him.

No date has been set for the meeting, but he said the meeting will be called soon.

In November 2024, Khan issued arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Israeli defense chief Yoav Gallant, as well as three senior Hamas leaders. The move drew protests from the Biden administration, with Biden calling it “outrageous.”

Last year, the Trump administration punished four ICC judgesciting the court’s “politics and abuse of power” behind the decision authorizing the arrest warrant of Netanyahu and another that directs the actions of US personnel in Afghanistan.