ICC's chief prosecutor Karim Khan suspended over misconduct claims: accountability, or a weaponised process?
The ICC's oversight body has suspended chief prosecutor Karim Khan and referred him to disciplinary proceedings over sexual misconduct allegations, with the court's 125 member states set to vote on his fate. The Assembly says it is upholding accountability; Khan rejects the suspension and denies wrongdoing, and his defenders question the timing as he faces US sanctions over his arrest warrants for Israeli and Hamas leaders.
The summary above is a neutral framing. Below, each side reports the same story in its own words — judge for yourself.
The Bureau of the Assembly of States Parties — the court's executive oversight committee — referred Khan to disciplinary proceedings before all 125 member states, who will vote in a special session. It frames the unprecedented suspension of a sitting prosecutor as a matter of accountability and the court's integrity.
Khan rejects the suspension and denies the allegations. His supporters point to the timing: he is under US sanctions and intense political pressure over his arrest warrants for Israeli and Hamas leaders, and argue the proceedings risk being weaponised against an independent prosecutor.
