Karim Khan, chief prosecutor of the International Criminal Court (ICC) since 2021, is facing serious allegations:

A former employee of the court accuses the 55-year-old Briton of sexual abuse, including rape, on business trips and at his home in The Hague. The explosive case has now been made public by the Wall Street Journal with numerous details, shortly after Khan requested an arrest warrant for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

The alleged victim of the sexual assaults, a female employee from Malaysia, accuses Khan of sexually harassing her on a total of five trips abroad and repeatedly forcing her to have sexual intercourse – including on business trips to Venezuela, Colombia, and London. According to her statement, the first assault took place in March 2023, shortly after she was transferred to Khan’s immediate team.

Witness: “He never used a condom”

Khan allegedly forced her to have sex in a hotel room during the night – without contraception and despite her refusal. Further assaults are also said to have taken place in his private apartment in The Hague. The woman, who is married and has a child, described the events to UN investigators who are now involved in the case. Quote: “He forced me to have sex. He never used a condom.”

Political minefield – Netanyahu trial in focus

The revelation comes at a particularly explosive time: just a few days before the allegations became public, Khan had announced his request for arrest warrants against leading Israeli politicians – a move that caused a considerable stir both internationally and domestically. Israel does not recognize the International Criminal Court and disputes its jurisdiction. Nevertheless, Khan’s move met with broad support from many member states, according to the Wall Street Journal.

Critics now suspect that the investigation against Israel could also serve as a “shield” for Khan internally. According to internal sources, the employee in question has temporarily suspended her legal dispute with Khan out of concern that it could jeopardize the proceedings against Netanyahu and Gallant, whom she expressly supports.

Khan rejects all allegations

Karim Khan has strongly rejected the allegations through his lawyers. He says the allegations are false, baseless, and have no influence on his legal work or the proceedings against Israeli government officials. The decision to request arrest warrants was made independently and based solely on facts and international law, Khan said in a statement.

However, it is striking that Khan canceled a key trip to Israel and Gaza—originally announced as crucial to his assessment—shortly before the arrest warrants were announced.

Internal investigations and international observation

According to the Wall Street Journal and UN circles, internal investigations are now underway at the ICC, as well as a legal review by independent UN bodies. The plaintiff’s statements are considered detailed and consistent, but are also being evaluated in the context of her professional position within the court and the highly political situation of the criminal court.

The revelations cast a shadow over the institution, whose credibility is at stake – not only in its handling of international war crimes, but also in its own integrity towards its employees.

Image: APA