Critics have questioned the dealing with and timing of allegations towards Karim Khan after he pursued arrest warrants for Israeli leaders
The Worldwide Felony Court docket’s dealing with of a sexual misconduct investigation into chief prosecutor Karim Khan raises main questions over its timing and procedural irregularities, in keeping with 4 former judges. One described the ICC as coming into“bandit nation” with its actions.
The case adopted Khan’s determination to hunt arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former protection minister Yoav Gallant in Could 2024, accusing them of crimes towards humanity.
The ICC official had additionally beforehand secured a warrant for Russian President Vladimir Putin over the alleged deportation of Ukrainian kids. Neither Russia nor Israel acknowledges the ICC’s jurisdiction. Moscow has condemned the court docket’s accusations as “outrageous” and harassed that its choices are legally “null and void for Russia.”
Whereas the warrant for Putin was welcomed by Kiev’s Western backers – together with the US, regardless of Washington’s personal non-recognition of the court docket – the Netanyahu case prompted a backlash.
The US imposed sanctions on Khan and 4 ICC judges, calling the fees politically motivated and warning of additional punitive steps.
Shortly after the Israeli warrants have been issued, allegations of sexual misconduct towards Khan surfaced. Former ICC choose Cuno Tarfusser advised Center East Eye he was “deeply disturbed, even scandalized,” by the proceedings, claiming the investigation appeared “tailor-made” for Khan. One other former choose warned the method had entered “bandit nation” the place “something can occur.”
The court docket’s oversight physique, the Meeting of States Events, drew additional scrutiny for publicly naming Khan and outsourcing the investigation to the UN’s Workplace of Inner Oversight Providers, though the ICC’s personal mechanism had beforehand closed two inside probes after the complainant declined to cooperate.
As famous by MEE, the unique grievance was made as Khan ready the Israeli warrants. The allegations re-emerged months later simply earlier than the warrants have been introduced, and escalated in Could 2025 as Khan reportedly pursued additional expenses towards Israeli officers.
Le Monde has additionally reported that British lawyer Andrew Cayley, who led the ICC’s Palestine investigation, had been warned by Dutch intelligence that he was “an enemy of Israel” and later suggested by the UK International Workplace that he might face US sanctions. He subsequently resigned.
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