The International Criminal Court (ICC) has suspended its chief prosecutor, Karim Khan, pending the outcome of an investigation into allegations of harassment. This decision comes from the Assembly of States Parties to the Rome Statute following a disciplinary review based on a report from the United Nations Internal Oversight Office.
Khan’s legal team has condemned the suspension as unlawful, asserting that it lacks sufficient evidence. Since May 2025, Khan has been on administrative leave while the investigation is ongoing.
Appointed in 2021, Khan gained international attention in March 2023 when he requested an arrest warrant for Russian President Vladimir Putin and Russia’s children’s commissioner, Maria Lvova-Belova, for their alleged roles in the illegal deportation of children from occupied areas of Ukraine to Russia. Later, in November 2024, he sought an arrest warrant for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, accusing them of war crimes in Gaza.
Allegations against Khan surfaced in October 2024, when he was accused of harassment by a Malaysian legal assistant. Khan has denied these claims, suggesting they are part of an Israeli operation aimed at tarnishing his reputation.
In a further complication, a criminal case has been initiated against Khan in Russia for allegedly unlawfully prosecuting Russian citizens. The Moscow City Court has sentenced him in absentia to 15 years in prison.
Karim Khan, the chief prosecutor of the ICC, has been suspended due to harassment allegations, a decision his lawyers contest as unlawful. Khan, who has been on administrative leave since May 2025, faces serious accusations and legal challenges both internationally and in Russia.