International Criminal Court (ICC) Chief Prosecutor Karim Khan has been accused of sexual misconduct by two women, including groping a female lawyer in a hotel room and engaging in an "onslaught" of unwanted advances toward an intern. These allegations have led to a proposal for his dismissal by the court's member states.
One accuser, identified by the pseudonym Sarah, who worked directly for Khan, described an incident during an official visit to Colombia. She alleged that Khan entered her hotel room and touched her intimately while she was pretending to sleep. Sarah told CNN that Khan "started to put his hand down my leggings, to grope me, to put his tongue in my ear." She emphasized that consensual relationships are impossible under such power disparities.
A second woman, referred to as Patricia, who worked for Khan earlier in his career, also came forward with allegations. She stated that while working as an intern at his home in 2009, she experienced "a constant onslaught of him coming on to me, groping me, grabbing me, kissing my face, touching my hair, trying to get me to engage in intimate activity with him."
Khan, 56, has denied all allegations through his lawyer, Sareta Ashraph. Ashraph stated that the claims are part of a larger body of evidence that has undergone review, and Khan "denies and continues to deny them in their entirety – any form of sexual content, relationship, consensual or nonconsensual, with the complainant."
Diplomats overseeing the ICC have reportedly decided that Khan engaged in an inappropriate sexual relationship with a junior staff member and recommended his termination. The court's 125 member states are scheduled to vote on July 24 on a proposal to dismiss him due to alleged sexual misconduct.
Some supporters of Khan suggest he has become a political target, particularly following his seeking arrest warrants for Israeli officials in 2024 related to the war in Gaza. Sarah, one of the accusers, denied rumors that she worked for Israel's Mossad spy agency, stating that her position required extensive security checks.
Earlier in June, the UK's Bar Standards Board upheld a suspension for Khan, banning him from practicing law in Britain while disciplinary proceedings are ongoing, a measure typically adopted in very serious and urgent cases.