A new complaint of sexual impropriety has been filed against International Criminal Court (ICC) chief prosecutor Karim Khan, adding to the mounting allegations against him.
The woman, who requested anonymity, told the Guardian that Khan repeatedly harassed her while she interned for him in The Hague in 2009. She described his conduct as relentless, claiming he abused his position by pressuring her to work at his home, where he allegedly touched and kissed her and attempted to persuade her to engage in further physical contact.
Her testimony has been added to the UN’s ongoing probe into separate accusations lodged last year by an ICC staff lawyer, who alleged that Khan engaged in coercive sexual behavior during 2023-2024. The inquiry, which began with the staffer’s complaint, has now broadened to include the second woman’s account.
Khan has temporarily stepped aside from his position and firmly rejects the claims. His legal team stated that he has “never engaged in sexual misconduct of any kind” and argued that documentation provided to investigators undermines the allegations. They further suggested the charges may be linked to efforts to discredit him after the ICC issued arrest warrants for Russian President Vladimir Putin and Israeli officials including Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Yoav Gallant.
The second woman, who was in her 20s at the time of the alleged incidents, said she felt unable to formally object because of concerns about her professional future. She later received a recommendation letter from Khan, which she described as coming at a heavy personal cost.
Both accusers describe similar patterns, including being invited to Khan’s residence for work purposes and then facing unwanted advances.
Khan, 55, was elected in 2021 to a nine-year term as chief prosecutor. The UN watchdog is expected to deliver its findings to the ICC’s governing body, which could ultimately decide through a vote of member states whether Khan should be removed — a step that would be unprecedented in the court’s history.
The ICC staffer at the heart of the inquiry has been particularly distressed by suggestions she is part of a pro-Israeli plot, according to people who know her. They noted that she is Muslim, and was known within the prosecutor’s office to have been supportive of its investigation into senior Israeli officials’ crimes in Gaza.