Michael Gabriel Hernandez
09 June 2026•Update: 09 June 2026
International Criminal Court (ICC) Prosecutor Karim Khan was suspended from his duties Monday following a probe into sexual abuse allegations against him.
The Bureau of the Assembly of States Parties to the Rome Statute, the ICC's governing body, announced the decision, saying Khan will be referred for disciplinary proceedings before all 125 member states following the results of a UN investigation, which are not being made available to the public.
"The assessment of the Bureau was based on the report of an investigation undertaken 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 in a statement.
"The decision of the Bureau and the related documentation will remain confidential. 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," it added.
An assembly session to take up the matter among all members is slated to be convened "as soon as possible."
Khan, who went on leave in May 2025 amid the UN investigation, said in April that he has been “exonerated.”
Khan told the Zeteo news outlet in an interview that the inquiry found no “misconduct or abuse of authority” and that he should be allowed 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 characterized as inappropriate in any way, shape or form,” he 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 Middle East Eye.
The investigation was commissioned by the head of the Assembly of States Parties, the ICC's governing body, in November 2024 after a member of Khan’s office accused him of sexual misconduct.
Last August, a second woman came forward, alleging the prosecutor had abused his authority over her while she was working for him.
The allegations came as Khan’s office was pursuing an investigation into alleged war crimes and genocide by Israeli officials and forces in Gaza and the occupied Palestinian territory.
In May 2024, Khan announced that he would file arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his then-defense minister, Yoav Gallant, over "criminal responsibility" for alleged war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza.
