ICC prosecutor, under investigation, steps aside temporarily

The International Criminal Court's chief prosecutor has stepped aside pending the conclusion of a probe into a misconduct allegation against him, his office said Friday, as media reports cite accusations of sexual misconduct.

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News of Karim Khan's leave have plunged the ICC, already under fire from critics and targeted by US sanctions aimed at the prosecutor, into further uncertainty.

The UN Office of Internal Oversight Services announced its investigation in November, with reports saying Khan was accused of sexual misconduct towards a member of his office.

Mr Khan, 55, denies the allegations.

Mr Khan “communicated his decision to take leave until the end” of the UN internal investigation, and his deputy prosecutors will run the office in his absence, his office said in a statement.

The Wall Street Journal reported that an assistant, a woman in her 30s, told UN officials that Khan touched her in a sexual manner in December 2023.