The chief prosecutor of the International Criminal Court (ICC), Karim Khan, dismissed the allegations of sexual misconduct and called for an immediate investigation.
In a statement, he announced that he had asked the organization responsible for the operation of the ICC, the Independent Oversight Mechanism (IOM), to conduct an investigation.
He also said that he asked for an investigation into what he called “disinformation” related to this case.
The move follows recent media reports citing a document detailing the charges against Mr Khan. It is understood to include unwanted sexual contact and “harassment”.
This is denied by Mr. Khan who said that he will cooperate fully with this investigation.
The ICC is closely watched following the prosecutor’s request to arrest a document related to the conflict in Gaza.
This incident comes after the president of the ICC’s Assembly of States Parties (ASP), which is responsible for the administration of the court and the legislature, revealed last week that the IOM was in contact with the suspect, but said it was not in a position to continue. with an investigation at that time.
According to the Guardian newspaper, the female lawyer who was raped by Mr. Khan, for a long time and in different places, had concerns about the competence of the IOM and was not given enough opportunity for the matter to be investigated. foreign body.
ASP President Paivi Kaukoranta cited the IOM’s 2023-2024 annual report, which states, “after the interview with the suspect, the IOM was not in a position to continue the investigation at that time. Measures to protect everyone’s rights were recommended.”
In an earlier statement, Mr Khan did not directly blame Israel, but he agreed with allegations of sexual misconduct and attempts to undermine his position when he described this as “a time when I and the International Court of Justice are facing various attacks.” and threatening”.
But the allegations of sexual misconduct are understood to be a precursor to his request for detention in connection with the Gaza conflict.
A three-judge ICC panel is currently considering Mr Khan’s requests to issue arrest warrants for Israeli leaders – including Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu – for alleged war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza.
The latter court was created to deal with the heinous crimes that exist around the world where countries are unable or unwilling to prosecute high-ranking individuals accused of atrocities.
Mr Khan said he had learned that the allegations had to be “publicised” with great regret, and that there was “no truth to the allegations of misconduct”.
These serious allegations have reached the public at a critical time for the ICC.
Based in The Hague, Netherlands, the ICC is now facing an unprecedented crisis, as internal disputes over the handling of the allegations, and apparent attempts by the court’s critics to politicize themselves, intensify.
Kaukoranta said the ICC has a “zero-tolerance policy” on illegal behavior, such as abuse, including sexual harassment, discrimination and abuse of authority, and that he is always “in touch with all the people involved to ensure that everyone’s rights continue to be protected.” “.
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