The top prosecutor for the International Criminal Court (ICC), Karim Khan, has been barred from his duties pending an upcoming ballot by the tribunal's member nations regarding his professional future, Reuters reported.
The court's oversight council announced the temporary removal on Monday, following a comprehensive inquiry into allegations of sexual harassment brought against him.
According to an individual within diplomatic circles who was updated on the administrative action, the executive bureau of the court's governing body concluded that Khan committed serious misconduct. The finding concludes an 18-month investigation into the matter.
Khan has persistently maintained his innocence and refuted all accusations. The tribunal's governing bureau is now prepared to distribute its final determinations to each of the 125 nations holding membership in the ICC, who will subsequently determine whether to permanently dismiss Khan from his post through an official vote, according to Reuters.
The Wall Street Journal reported last May that Khan announced he was seeking arrest warrants against Netanyahu and Gallant within three weeks of the first accusations of sexual harassment against him, further fueling the accusations that the warrants were politically motivated.
While Khan stopped short of directly accusing Israel of being behind the allegations, his public denial mentioned that he and the ICC have been the targets of “a wide range of recent attacks and threats" in recent months.
However, a months-long investigation by The Guardian found no evidence of Israeli or other foreign involvement in the core allegations against Khan.