ICC Prosecutor Khan Suspended by UK Regulator Amid Misconduct Probe
The Hague- International Criminal Court Chief Prosecutor Karim Khan has been suspended by Britain’s legal regulator pending a review of allegations of sexual misconduct, deepening a leadership crisis at the world’s permanent war crimes tribunal.
The Bar Standards Board said on Friday that Khan’s suspension took immediate effect and would be reviewed by an independent panel within four weeks. The move follows a separate decision by the ICC’s governing body on June 8 to suspend Khan from his duties while proceedings related to the allegations continue.
Khan, 56, has denied all accusations and said he would challenge the measures taken against him. His supporters have argued that he has become a target of political pressure following his pursuit of arrest warrants against senior Israeli officials over Israel’s conduct in the Gaza conflict.
The ICC’s 125 member states are scheduled to consider Khan’s future at a special session of the court’s governing body on July 24.
The case stems from allegations first raised in 2024 by a female aide who accused Khan of engaging in a non-consensual sexual relationship with a younger staff member. Following the emergence of the allegations, the court commissioned an external United Nations-led investigation.
A summary of the confidential 18-month inquiry reviewed by Reuters found a “factual basis” for the allegations. Khan has consistently denied wrongdoing.
In May 2025, Khan took voluntary leave from his position, with his two deputy prosecutors assuming responsibility for the office’s day-to-day operations.
The developments come at a particularly sensitive moment for the ICC, which has faced mounting political pressure over investigations involving major powers and their allies.
The United States, which is not a member of the court, has imposed sanctions on 11 ICC judges and prosecutors, including Khan, in response to arrest warrants issued for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, as well as the court’s earlier investigation into alleged crimes involving U.S. forces in Afghanistan.
Washington has also warned that additional sanctions against the court remain possible.
Founded in 2002 and based in The Hague, the ICC prosecutes individuals accused of genocide, crimes against humanity and war crimes committed on the territory of member states or by their nationals.
