“And I will bless those who bless you, and the one who curses you I will curse..” – Genesis 12:3
Allegedly, Karim thinks he Khan…
The British chief prosecutor of the International Criminal Court has been accused of misconduct amid harassment claims involving a female colleague, The Mail on Sunday can reveal.
Karim Khan KC, a barrister tasked with bringing war criminals to justice, triggered outrage in May after requesting arrest warrants for Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and defence minister Yoav Gallant for alleged crimes against humanity in Gaza.
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Our investigation can reveal that in the fortnight before his bombshell announcement, Mr Khan, 54, faced internal scrutiny at the International Criminal Court (ICC), in the Hague, Netherlands.
Sources claim a female official at the court made claims about Mr Khan’s conduct to a colleague, who in turn informed senior managers.
The MoS understands the woman was so upset she was in tears.
Officials from a body called the Independent Oversight Mechanism (IOM), which probes misconduct allegations at the court, quizzed the ‘alleged victim’ but she decided not to make a formal complaint, it was officially stated.
It was also suggested that the woman refused to confirm or deny the account given to the managers by her colleague.
The IOM decided not to launch an investigation and instead recommended a series of undisclosed measures ‘to safeguard everyone’s rights’.
Mr Khan denied any wrongdoing and suggested a deliberate smear campaign, saying he and the court were being subjected ‘to a wide range of attacks and threats’.
‘I absolutely can confirm there is no truth to suggestions of misconduct.’
In a statement to the MoS, Paivi Kaukoranta, President of the Assembly of States Parties, which oversees the court, said she was aware of public reports about alleged misconduct by the ICC Prosecutor towards a member of staff, and that the IOM was informed by a third-party.
She added: ‘Following the conversation with the alleged victim, the IOM was not in a position to proceed with an investigation at that stage.
‘The Court has a zero-tolerance policy towards prohibited conduct, such as harassment, including sexual harassment, discrimination and abuse of authority. Any reports of misconduct are taken very seriously, with full respect for the presumption of innocence, as well as the duty of care towards ICC personnel.’
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The MoS has learnt that earlier this year a female ICC official made allegations about Mr Khan’s conduct to a colleague, who felt duty-bound to inform managers.
Despite claims that the woman declined to pursue a formal complaint, the controversy reignited on Thursday when allegations were posted on an new and anonymous Twitter account.
On Friday the IOM published its annual report, which appeared to refer to the case involving Mr Khan, although the prosecutor was not mentioned by name.
It said that on May 3 the IOM had been told about allegations that an elected official engaged in behaviour that would have breached the court’s ‘harassment’ rules.
The report said the IOM told the alleged victim it could refer any investigation to an external organisation but she still ‘declined to pursue a formal complaint’.
Last night, in a 350-word statement to the MoS, Mr Khan said: ‘It is with deep sadness that I understand reports of this nature are to be aired publicly in relation to me.’
He added: ‘This is a moment in which myself and the International Criminal Court are subject to a wide range of attacks and threats. In recent months my family including my wife and child have also been targeted.’
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Mr Khan said that he would cooperate with the IOM, if he was required to do so.
Lucky for Khan, others do not show the same disregard for the Rule of Law that he has in pursuing baseless charges against Netanyahu and Gallant. Which means the principle of innocent until proven guilty would apply: just because there are allegations against him, and just because his brother was found guilty of sexually assaulting a 15-year-old boy, it doesn’t mean that Khan is also a sexual deviant.
But watch this space.
