International Criminal Court Prosecutor Karim Khan has stepped aside as an external investigation into allegations of sexual misconduct moves forward.
The United Nations’ internal oversight office is examining claims against Khan, a development that coincides with heightened scrutiny of the ICC’s recent arrest warrants targeting Israeli and Hamas leaders, as Fox News reports.
The ICC confirmed Friday that Khan will be on leave until the investigation concludes. The inquiry is being led by the United Nations Office of Internal Oversight Services, which serves as the U.N.’s internal watchdog. Khan has denied all allegations of inappropriate conduct.
Initial reports of the alleged misconduct surfaced last year in May, when two ICC staff members said a victim had privately shared accusations involving Khan. The ICC’s in-house watchdog launched a short inquiry, speaking with the alleged victim but ending the probe after five days when she declined to file a formal complaint.
Although the inquiry closed without a formal conclusion, the watchdog recommended Khan reduce direct interaction with the woman to help maintain confidence in the court. Khan himself was not interviewed during that initial review.
The situation escalated over the past week as media outlets, including the Associated Press and Fox News Digital, highlighted the unresolved misconduct claims. Fox News asked both the court and Khan if he would resign or face removal soon. Khan’s decision to pause his duties followed shortly after.
Women's rights organizations had previously pushed for Khan's resignation when the accusations first emerged. At the time, he refused. Now, with an external investigation under way, he has agreed to step back temporarily from his role. Attorneys from the British law firm Carter-Ruck Solicitors, who represent Khan, issued a statement denying all claims against him. They said he is cooperating fully with the UN-led inquiry and has done nothing wrong.
While the misconduct investigation was unfolding, Khan made international headlines with the ICC’s decision to seek arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Israel’s former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, and three senior Hamas leaders. These charges follow the outbreak of war in October 2023, when Hamas militants entered Israel and killed more than 1,200 people, including several Americans.
Khan had reportedly canceled a planned visit to Israel and Gaza shortly before making the announcement, adding fuel to suspicions that the timing of the prosecutions may have been politically motivated. Critics have questioned whether Khan’s move was an attempt to redirect attention away from the allegations against him. Lawyers for Khan defended the prosecutorial decision, saying that the ICC's judges approved the arrest warrants after determining the evidence met legal requirements under the Rome Statute. They also rejected claims that the timing of the filing was influenced by personal matters.
Legal scholars have voiced sharp criticism of the court’s operations. Eugene Kontorovich, a constitutional law professor and expert on international law, claimed that Khan's departure doesn’t go far enough. He said that deeper institutional failings at the ICC have allowed such issues to persist unchecked. Kontorovich went further by arguing that the misconduct scandal jeopardizes not only the charges brought by Khan but also casts doubt on previous prosecutions. He cited the court’s limited success over its 25-year existence -- only six final convictions for atrocity crimes—to support his argument that the ICC should be shut down altogether.
Hillel Neuer, head of U.N. Watch, suggested that Khan’s leave is a strategic move to protect the court's image while continuing what he called politically driven legal actions against Israel. He emphasized that the controversy extends beyond any one individual, challenging the motives behind the court's recent high-profile prosecutions.
Israeli officials have requested the ICC withdraw the warrants filed against its leaders, labeling the court's decisions as biased and unjust. However, the ICC has made no public move to retract its actions. A spokesperson declined to speculate on the status of the warrants, citing a pending procedural request.
In one especially controversial twist, President Donald Trump imposed sanctions on Khan in February 2025. The move heightened tensions between the ICC and the U.S. and complicated global perceptions of the court's impartiality in prosecuting international crimes. Adding to the intrigue, critics highlighted past writings by Khan that seemed to contrast with his current actions. In 2013, he published an academic piece suggesting that prosecutions like Netanyahu’s would be legally flawed, as the ICC was unequipped to ensure fair judicial processes in such cases.
So far, the Office of Internal Oversight Services has not disclosed a timeline for the investigation’s conclusion. Meanwhile, Khan remains on leave, with court operations continuing under interim leadership. The outcome of the inquiry may shape the direction and credibility of the ICC for years to come. UN officials declined to weigh in on the matter, pointing to the International Criminal Court’s status as an independent body. While the U.N.’s inspector general office leads the investigation, the judicial institution makes decisions separately from U.N. political branches.
With both legal and public attention focused heavily on the court, the ICC faces growing pressure to demonstrate transparency, accountability and adherence to legal norms. The results of the misconduct inquiry and subsequent handling by court leadership may define how the institution moves forward in the wake of deepening controversy.
