ICC's Karim Khan suspended for alleged sexual misconduct

June 9 (UPI) -- The International Criminal Court on Tuesday suspended Chief Prosecutor Karim Khan from duty over allegations of sexual misconduct.

The ICC announced it will convene an Assembly of State Parties meeting to consider the allegations against Khan, 56, a British citizen.

The committee of 21 of the court's member states decided after a vote that Khan had committed serious misconduct in connection to sexual abuse claims, The Guardian reported.

Khan has repeatedly denied the allegations.

The prosecutor took leave in May 2025 after the allegations surfaced from an assistant who worked for him at the court's headquarters at The Hague, Netherlands. The assistant, a female attorney in her 30s, accused Khan of forced sexual intercourse multiple times in New York, Colombia, Congo, Chad and Paris, and at Khan's home at the Hague.

The woman who made the allegations was working as a special assistant at the time, with Khan as her boss.

"The power dynamic between them meant that she could not say no to Mr. Khan," a summary by a panel of judicial experts said.

The allegations were investigated as part of an alleged pattern of abuse that included sexual harassment and inappropriate touching.

Khan's lawyers have said he denies having "harassed or mistreated any individual, or having misused his position or authority, or engaged in any conduct that could be interpreted as coercive, exploitative or professionally inappropriate," The Guardian reported.

The ICC said its decision to suspend Khan was "not an indication of the final outcome." Khan had already temporarily stepped aside from his position.

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This story was originally published June 9, 2026 at 9:21 AM.