ICC prosecutor Karim Khan suspended after sexual misconduct allegations

The International Criminal Court’s chief prosecutor, Karim Khan, was suspended from duty after the court’s governing Bureau moved a disciplinary case to the full Assembly of States Parties. The decision, taken by qualified majority on June 8, 2026, deepens a long-running scandal and puts the future of the court’s top prosecutor in the hands of the ICC’s 125 member states.

The Bureau said the suspension takes effect immediately and is not an indication of the final outcome. Its move followed a United Nations Office of Internal Oversight Services investigation, underlying evidence, advice from an ad hoc panel of judicial experts and written submissions. The Assembly of States Parties, the court’s management oversight and legislative body, is expected to hold a special session and decide whether Khan can remain in office.

The allegations center on sexual misconduct involving a female aide. The U.N. inquiry found evidence of nonconsensual sexual contact in Khan’s office, at his private residence and while on mission. Khan has denied wrongdoing throughout the case, and he had already temporarily stepped down in May 2025 while the investigation continued.

The procedural path has been unusually complex. The allegations were first reported to the court’s independent watchdog more than two years ago, and a confidential three-judge panel appointed by the Assembly submitted its review on March 9, 2026. That panel reportedly concluded the facts did not establish misconduct or breach of duty, making the Bureau’s June 8 action especially consequential as the court tries to show that its oversight process is both independent and robust.

The stakes reach well beyond one personnel case. Khan is the public face of some of the ICC’s most politically explosive work, including proceedings tied to Russia, Israel and other flashpoint conflicts. On May 20, 2024, he announced applications for arrest warrants in the situation in the State of Palestine, naming Yahya Sinwar, Mohammed Diab Ibrahim al-Masri, known as Deif, and Ismail Haniyeh. Any prolonged uncertainty over his status could complicate the court’s most visible prosecutions and sharpen criticism from governments, activists and opponents already pressing the tribunal from every side.

The Assembly of States Parties now faces a defining test. Its Bureau has 21 members, including a president, two vice-presidents and 18 elected members, but the final call rests with the full body of member states. How it handles Khan’s case will shape confidence not only in the prosecutor’s office, but in the ICC’s ability to police itself while pursuing some of the world’s most sensitive war-crimes cases.