Karim Khan was suspended with immediate effect by the 21 members of the Bureau of the Assembly of States Parties to the International Criminal Court (ICC).
The ICC prosecutor, already on leave from his duties for a year to focus on his defense, is under investigation following allegations of sexual assault made by a member of his team. He strongly denies these allegations. The Office clarifies that this suspension does not prejudge the outcome of the proceedings, which must be decided as soon as possible by the Court's 125 member states.
In March, a report prepared by three independent judges and submitted to the President of the ICC Assembly cleared Karim Khan of any responsibility, concluding that the evidence gathered by UN investigators was insufficient. In the context of these accusations, the prosecutor had already been recused from the case against former Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte for crimes against humanity.
Earlier, in 2024, he had obtained arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, in connection with the conflict in Gaza.
