The British main prosecutor of the International Criminal Court defends the pressure of senior colleagues to step aside in the midst of a probe in accusations of sexual misconduct, can reveal the post on Sunday. Well -placed sources have told this newspaper that Karim Khan KC, the controversial lawyer who is looking for the arrest of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, ignores direct supplications of three of his highly ranked colleagues who say that he must immediately retrieve himself out of his role .
Khan, 54, announced his war crimes against Israel in May only two weeks after he was told that a female lawyer had made serious accusations of sexual misconduct against him at the International Criminal Court (ICC).
An external investigation was started six months later in November and was understood at the time to investigate accusations that Mr Khan touched the woman in his office and 'touched sexually' during a work trip, which he strongly denied.
De Mos has since been told that the complaint also includes other serious accusations of sexual misconduct. It comes among a crisis for the ICC, and for Mr Khan himself, who was banned last week to enter the United States by Donald Trump as part of an executive order that sanctions judicial officials.
Now De Mos has been told that three of Mr Khan's senior colleagues told him that he must take leave while the investigation into his behavior is going on.
It is said that they include American lawyer Brenda Hollis, the leader of the ICC's Palestine investigation, who was on the side of Mr. Khan when he announced controversially that he was looking for arrest trips for Netanyahu and former Israeli Minister of Defense Yoav Gallant.
Insiders claim that there is more and more anger within the ICC in the refusal of Mr Khan to go aside and on the road the investigation into sexual misconduct, which is led by a UN instance that the Office of Internal Oversight Services (OIOS) is treated, treated.
Last night one ICC source said: '[Mr Khan] Was asked to go aside through senior management and he just refuses to do. That has been happening for a while. Almost his entire senior management told him he should go aside and he just refuses powerful. '
The British main prosecutor (photo) of the International Criminal Court defends the pressure of senior colleagues to step aside in the midst of a probe in accusations of sexual misconduct, the mail on Sunday can reveal
Well -placed sources have told this newspaper that Karim Khan KC, the controversial lawyer who is looking for the arrest of the Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel (depicted), ignores immediate supplications of three of his highest ranking colleagues who say he himself would immediately withdraw roll
Mr. Khan, 54, announced his war crimes against Israel in May only two weeks after he was told that a female lawyer had made serious accusations of sexual misconduct against him at the International Criminal Court (ICC), Mr Khan with the Volodmymyr van Ukraine Zensky)
Another said: “It was recommended that he took leave, even when the investigation was set up, and I think there is an increasing pressure now, but he still decides not to continue.”
De Mos has discovered that, since he was chosen for a period of nine years, Mr Khan personally decided in 2021 that at least five ICC employees should be suspended when individual accusations of misconduct were made against them and before they had been investigated .
Judicial insiders also claim that the alleged victim has been subject to a vicious smear campaign in recent months. Several sources said that a small group of ICC officials has spread grotesque and unfounded rumors about what is considered to be an attempt to discredit her and to silence it. De Mos has chosen not to repeat the non -under -built rumors.
“Many employees have been very supportive,” said a source. “But then there are people who are in key positions who work actively to undermine her credibility and reject her allegations.”
Some of the ICC fear that the controversy, in combination with the new threat from President Trump, endangers the entire future of the court.
“The sad thing is, it is just going to discredit the court in terms of how long it will take,” said a source. “Of course, someone goes to see at some point how the institution is treated as a whole, and it will not be good.”
Lawyers representing Mr. Khan said last night that earlier investigations into chosen ICC officials did not require these officials that they are going aside, while the switch to suspend other non-chosen employees during the material '.
An external investigation was started in November and it was understood at the time to investigate accusations that Mr. Khan (photo) touched the woman in his office and 'touched sexually' during a work trip, which he strongly denied
De Mos has since been told that the complaint against Mr. Khan (left) also includes other serious accusations of sexual misconduct, Mr. Khan with Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan)
It comes among a crisis for the ICC, and for Mr Khan himself (photo), who was banned last week to enter the United States by Donald Trump as part of an Executive Order who sanctes judicial judicial officials
The three senior colleagues who encouraged Mr. Khan to resign, would include the American lawyer Brenda Hollis, the leader of the Palestine investigation of the ICC, who was on the part of Mr. Khan when he announced controversially that he Was looking for arrest boats for Netanyahu (right) and former Israeli Minister of Defense Yoav Gallant (left)
Mr Khan's lawyers added: “Mr Khan's decision not to step aside was taken after extensive consultations with current and former chosen officials, as well as senior staff.”
When the allegations were first reported in October, Mr. Khan said: 'There is no truth for suggestions of such misconduct. I have worked in various contexts for 30 years and there has never been such a complaint against me by anyone. '
The ICC refused to comment.
