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The ICC Needs a Chief Prosecutor

4 0
yesterday

The International Criminal Court (ICC) is headless at a time of acute need. It has been some 11 months since the accusation became public that the court’s chief prosecutor, Karim Khan, sexually assaulted a female lawyer in his office. He denies the accusation and has, appropriately, taken a temporary leave of absence beginning in May 2025 while the U.N.’s Office of Internal Oversight Services (OIOS) conducts an investigation.

We don’t know what happened between Khan and his staff member, but as two longtime supporters of the court, we are deeply concerned by the effect of this development on this important institution. We urge the 125 governments that have joined the court—the Assembly of States Parties—to request the OIOS to finalize the report of the investigation, which soon will have been pending for a year.

The International Criminal Court (ICC) is headless at a time of acute need. It has been some 11 months since the accusation became public that the court’s chief prosecutor, Karim Khan, sexually assaulted a female lawyer in his office. He denies the accusation and has, appropriately, taken a temporary leave of absence beginning in May 2025 while the U.N.’s Office of Internal Oversight Services (OIOS) conducts an investigation.

We don’t know what happened between Khan and his staff member, but as two longtime supporters of the court, we are deeply concerned by the effect of this development on this important institution. We urge the 125 governments that have joined the court—the Assembly of States Parties—to request the OIOS to finalize the report of the investigation, which soon will have been pending for a year.

In Khan’s absence, two deputies have assumed his duties temporarily, and the........

© Foreign Policy