Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband has been urged to launch an investigation into Karim Khan, the former chief prosecutor of the International Criminal Court (ICC), who was ousted over allegations of sexual misconduct. The calls come after a secret ballot at United Nations headquarters in New York, where 82 of the court's 125 member states voted to dismiss Khan.
The allegations, first exposed by The Mail on Sunday nearly two years ago, involve a female colleague with whom Khan allegedly engaged in kissing, groping, and non-consensual sex over an 11-month period. The accuser, identified as Sarah, spoke publicly about her claims earlier this month in an interview with CNN. She detailed an incident in Colombia where she alleged Khan entered her hotel room and groped her while she was pretending to be asleep.
Khan, 56, has repeatedly denied all allegations. A second woman, using the pseudonym Patricia, also came forward last year accusing Khan of sexual misconduct during her time as an intern in 2009, alleging persistent unwelcome advances at his home.
Dame Priti Patel, the shadow Foreign Secretary, described Sarah's testimony as "harrowing" and called for the UK government to initiate its own probe. "The ICC has been undermined by its chief prosecutor's appalling conduct," Patel stated, criticizing the government's silence on the matter. "Ed Miliband must launch an urgent investigation into these allegations and the abuse of power within the ICC and other international institutions."
Khan's legal team, led by Tayab Ali, stated that an investigation by the United Nations Office of Oversight Services had not made any findings of misconduct against him. They also indicated that Khan intends to challenge the decision through legal mechanisms.
A Foreign Office spokesperson acknowledged the ICC Bureau's conclusion of its investigation and stated respect for its findings. The spokesperson added, "The UK expects the highest standards of behaviour from leaders of international organisations, and we have a zero-tolerance approach to sexual exploitation, abuse or harassment of any kind, and inaction to address it."
The dismissal of Khan came shortly before he had requested the arrest of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for alleged war crimes in Gaza. The timeline of the complaint and Khan's request has drawn attention, though the Foreign Office has not disclosed how the UK voted in the dismissal ballot.