ICC’s leader prosecutor, Karim Khan, to step apart till investigation ends

The leader prosecutor of the world legal courtroom, Karim Khan, will take a go away of absence till an investigation into allegations of sexual misconduct reaches a conclusion, the courtroom has showed.

Staff within the ICC’s prosecution department have been instructed on Friday that Khan would quickly step apart till an exterior investigation analyzing the allegations towards him used to be finished and courtroom government may just believe its findings.

The Hague-based courtroom mentioned in a remark that Khan “communicated his decision to take leave until the end” of the investigation. While Khan is on go away, the courtroom’s deputy prosecutors will likely be accountable for managing the prosecutor’s administrative center, the remark mentioned.

Khan, a British attorney, has confronted a backlash from lots of his group of workers in fresh months over his choice to withstand calls from a few of his maximum senior group of workers to take a go away of absence till the investigation is resolved.

In an e mail to group of workers noticed via the Guardian, Khan mentioned: “In light of escalating media reports, I have made the considered decision to take leave until the completion of the investigation.” He mentioned his two deputy prosecutors would take over his tasks.

ICC assets mentioned Khan’s choice adopted renewed power previous this week from senior courtroom officers who steered him to step apart after new main points of the allegations have been printed within the media over the weekend.

Investigators from the UN watchdog accomplishing the investigation are understood to have met Khan for the primary time closing week, interviewing him over two days.

The inquiry used to be introduced in November after allegations emerged about his remedy of a girl who labored for him. The Guardian reported that the allegations come with undesirable sexual touching and “abuse” over a longer length, in addition to coercive behaviour and abuse of authority.

Lawyers for Khan, 55, have up to now mentioned that he “denies the whole of the allegations” and mentioned he would cooperate with the inquiry.

The investigation, which is being carried out via the UN’s Office of Internal Oversight Services (OIOS), will ship its report back to the president of the courtroom’s governing frame to check its conclusions.

According to assets conversant in the inquiry’s phrases of reference, additionally it is analyzing claims that Khan engaged in witness intimidation and retaliation towards contributors of his group of workers.

Khan used to be elected in 2021 to serve a nine-year time period as leader prosecutor of the everlasting courtroom of closing lodge, which investigates and prosecutes people accused of atrocities, together with genocide, struggle crimes and crimes towards humanity.

In a remark, the International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH) mentioned it welcomed Khan’s choice, describing it as “essential to protect the integrity of the court, ensure investigations continue without interference, and begin to rebuild the trust of victims, staff and the public”.

“This was the only responsible decision. No one is above accountability — not even the prosecutor of the ICC,” it added.

Khan’s deputies – Nazhat Shameem Khan from Fiji and Mame Mandiaye Niang from Senegal – will suppose accountability of the prosecutor’s administrative center of round 450 group of workers at a delicate second for the ICC.

The courtroom is bracing for a contemporary spherical of US sanctions after Donald Trump imposed financial and commute sanctions towards Khan in February according to the courtroom’s choice closing yr to approve arrest warrants towards the Israeli high minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, and his former defence minister Yoav Gallant.

The deputies will take price of the investigation into alleged crimes within the occupied Palestinian territories. Last month, the Guardian reported that Khan used to be making ready new programs for Israeli suspects in connection to alleged struggle crimes and crimes towards humanity.

It isn’t transparent how lengthy Khan will likely be absent from the courtroom. The OIOS investigation, now in its 6th month, has interviewed a number of courtroom group of workers along with Khan and the alleged sufferer.

If Khan is located to have dedicated “serious misconduct” or a significant breach of his tasks, he’s going to face a secret poll through which the ICC’s 125 member states will vote on whether or not to take away him from administrative center.