ICC oversight body to vote on fate of Chief Prosecutor Karim Khan
Diplomats from around the world will meet at the United Nations headquarters in New York on Friday to decide the fate of the International Criminal Court’s chief prosecutor.
Karim Kahn was suspended from his role last month following allegations of sexual misconduct.
A UN investigation found that Khan had “nonconsensual sexual contact with an aide” on several occasions. But a three-judge panel ruled the investigation wasn’t conclusive.
Now the court’s oversight body, the Assembly of State Parties, will put the question to a secret ballot of its 125 member states. Sixty-three countries would need to support a measure to permanently remove him.
The saga has dragged on for more than two years and has had profound implications for the global tribunal.
Earlier this month, the administration of US President Donald Trump announced a campaign aimed at dismantling the 24-year-old institution.
Khan’s supporters say he became a political target for successfully seeking an arrest warrant for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu over genocide charges in Gaza.
In June, Khan was also suspended by British regulators. The Bar Standards Board said in a statement that the suspension, effective immediately, would be considered by a panel at a hearing within four weeks.
The 56-year-old British national has repeatedly denied any wrongdoing.
Sourced from Africanews
