ICC Prosecutor Karim Khan Suspended Over Sexual Misconduct Allegations, Disciplinary Proceedings Ordered

The governing body of the International Criminal Court has suspended Prosecutor Karim Khan and referred him for disciplinary proceedings before all 125 member states, following a UN investigation into sexual abuse allegations. Khan denies wrongdoing. His suspension raises fresh concerns over accountability for Myanmar's junta chief Min Aung Hlaing, who faces genocide allegations over the mass killings of Rohingya Muslims.

Photo Source: Collected

THE HAGUE, Netherlands: International Criminal Court Prosecutor Karim Khan has been suspended from his duties and referred for disciplinary proceedings before all 125 member states of the Rome Statute, the ICC's governing body announced Monday, following the conclusion of a United Nations investigation into sexual misconduct allegations against him.

The Bureau of the Assembly of States Parties said the decision was based on a report by the United Nations Office of Internal Oversight Services (OIOS), the underlying evidence, the advice of an ad hoc panel of judicial experts, and written submissions. The bureau said the results of the investigation will not be made public.

"The decision of the Bureau and the related documentation will remain confidential," the bureau said in a statement. "The Bureau continues to call for due respect for the privacy and the rights of all parties concerned, as well as for the integrity of the ongoing process."

A full session of the Assembly of States Parties, involving all 125 member states, is expected to be convened "as soon as possible" to take up the matter.

Khan, who went on leave in May 2025 amid the UN investigation, has maintained that he has done nothing wrong. In an interview with the Zeteo news outlet in April, he said the inquiry found no misconduct or abuse of authority and that he should be permitted to return to work.

"I've read the UN report. I've read the findings of the judges. And in the UN report, there are 137 findings. Not one of those findings makes determinations or makes findings of conduct that could be characterised as inappropriate in any way, shape or form," Khan said.

In March, a panel of three judges unanimously concluded in an advisory opinion that the UN investigation results "do not establish misconduct or a breach of duty under the relevant legal framework," according to reporting by Middle East Eye.

The investigation was first commissioned in November 2024 by the head of the Assembly of States Parties after a member of Khan's office accused him of sexual misconduct. A second woman later came forward in August 2024, alleging that Khan had abused his authority over her while she was working under him.

Shadow Over Rohingya Accountability

Khan's suspension comes at a critical moment for international efforts to hold Myanmar's military leadership accountable for the mass atrocities committed against the Rohingya Muslim minority.

Myanmar's junta chief Senior General Min Aung Hlaing, who seized power in a military coup in February 2021 and now serves as the country's self-appointed president, has been identified by United Nations investigators as bearing the greatest responsibility for crimes committed against the Rohingya people. The UN's Independent International Fact-Finding Mission, in its 2018 report, recommended that Min Aung Hlaing and other senior military commanders be investigated and prosecuted for genocide, crimes against humanity, and war crimes.

The military's 2017 clearance operations in Rakhine State drove more than 700,000 Rohingya Muslims across the border into Bangladesh, with survivors describing mass killings, rape, and the wholesale burning of villages. The United States formally declared the atrocities a genocide in March 2022.

The ICC authorised a formal investigation into the situation in Bangladesh and Myanmar in November 2019, focusing on the alleged deportation of Rohingya people across the Bangladesh border, one of the few legal avenues available given that Myanmar has not ratified the Rome Statute. Rights groups have repeatedly called on the court to expand its scope and pursue charges against Min Aung Hlaing and other senior commanders directly.

With Khan now suspended and disciplinary proceedings underway, human rights advocates warn that leadership uncertainty at the ICC could slow progress on the Rohingya case and other major prosecutions at a time when victims have already waited years for any form of justice.

The ICC did not immediately provide further comment on the timeline or process for the disciplinary proceedings.