A new investigation has been opened against Karim Khan, chief prosecutor of the International Criminal Court (ICC) in The Hague, who issued international arrest warrants for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant on suspicion of war crimes.
The new probe, concerning alleged improper conduct, comes in addition to an ongoing investigation into sexual harassment claims against Khan that began last year, the British tabloid Daily Mail reported Sunday
According to sources who spoke with the Daily Mail, the latest investigation centers on accusations that Khan held improper and secret discussions with a judge while handling another war crimes case. That case involved Maxim Mokom, a former militia leader from the Central African Republic accused of murder, rape, extermination, deportation, torture, persecution and forced disappearances.
Mokom was transferred to The Hague in March 2022, four years after his arrest warrant was issued. But in October 2023, Khan unexpectedly dropped the charges — 10 months after they had been filed — against the advice of many of his colleagues.
The allegations under investigation claim Khan canceled the indictment after discussing evidence with one of the judges in the case, Rosario Aitala, and visiting the judge’s office several times. Other judges on the panel were allegedly not informed. At the time, Khan publicly said there was insufficient evidence, acknowledging the decision would upset survivors and their families.
The Daily Mail reported that at least five ICC officials have been interviewed in recent months by investigators from the court’s oversight body. One source told the paper the affair poses “an even bigger challenge for the court than the allegations of sexual misconduct, because it is broader and goes to the integrity of case management at the ICC.”
Khan’s lawyers denied the allegations, suggesting instead that they were part of a campaign to retaliate against him for the warrants issued for Netanyahu and Gallant. They said attempts had been made “by a range of actors to undermine his credibility and destroy his personal reputation through the media as a direct consequence of his role in issuing the arrest warrants against Benjamin Netanyahu and Yoav Gallant and in an attempt to obstruct those proceedings.”
Khan, 55, has served as ICC prosecutor since 2021. In Israel he became known for issuing arrest warrants against Netanyahu and Gallant over alleged war crimes in Gaza and previously against Russian President Vladimir Putin for alleged war crimes in Ukraine.
Last summer it emerged that a female staffer in her 30s accused Khan of sexually harassing her over a long period between 2023 and 2024, allegedly trying to pressure her into sex. A UN-appointed external team opened an inquiry, and earlier this year Khan suspended himself from office pending the outcome. He has denied any misconduct.
In August the British newspaper The Guardian revealed a second woman, using the pseudonym Patricia, accused Khan of persistent sexual harassment dating back to 2009 when she interned for him at the ICC. She said Khan groped her and repeatedly pressured her for sex despite their unequal positions. Patricia told the Guardian she decided to come forward after reading the earlier complaint, describing her experience as a “constant barrage of advances” that left her feeling “confused and humiliated.”
Patricia said Khan often summoned her to his home in The Hague under the guise of work, where he would touch and kiss her without consent and attempt to convince her to sleep with him. She said she stayed in the internship because she needed his recommendation letter, which she ultimately received, but described it as “a deal with the devil.”
The Guardian also noted that when the allegations first surfaced last year, Khan and his associates privately suggested the claims were part of a smear campaign by pro-Israel groups aiming to deter him from prosecuting Israeli leaders.
However, the paper reported that investigations by the Guardian and others, including Le Monde, found no evidence that either of the women fabricated claims as part of such a scheme even if pro-Israel actors later tried to exploit the scandal. In fact, the first complainant, a Muslim staffer known for supporting Khan’s Gaza probe, reportedly felt distressed at suggestions her complaint was linked to Israeli interests.
According to five ICC insiders interviewed by the Guardian, Khan’s own team concluded it was highly unlikely the complaints were part of any organized smear campaign. One source said pro-Israel actors “may have exploited the story, but they did not create it.”