ICC PROSECUTOR KARIM KHAN SUSPENDED BY UK BAR STANDARDS BOARD

Karim Khan, chief prosecutor for the International Criminal Court, has been suspended from legal practice in Britain by the Bar Standards Board following allegations of sexual misconduct. The suspension takes effect immediately and will be reviewed after four weeks. Khan was already suspended from his duties at the ICC on 9 June following the same allegations. He is a British citizen.

Khan stands accused of sexual assault by a former female aide who worked at the ICC's headquarters in The Hague. The woman, a female attorney in her 30s, alleges that Khan forced sexual intercourse with her on multiple occasions in New York, Colombia, Congo, Chad, Paris and at Khan's home in The Hague. Khan is also accused of attempting to silence the woman by suggesting her allegations would damage his work on behalf of Palestinian victims. According to a report, Khan told her on a call: "The casualties [of her allegations] will unfortunately be three: you and your family, me and my family and the justice of the victims." Khan's legal representatives at Carter-Ruck stated that he "unequivocally denies all allegations of impropriety" and maintains he has acted in accordance with his professional obligations.

The ICC's 125 member states will vote on the matter in a special session on 24 July. Khan had been working towards securing the arrest of Benjamin Netanyahu for alleged war crimes during Israel's military operations in Gaza. Khan took leave in May 2025 after the allegations first surfaced.