Accusations of sexual abuse against the prosecutor of The Hague

2024-10-25 22:26:25, Kosova & Bota CNA

As the chief prosecutor of the International Criminal Court (ICC) sought war crimes charges this year against Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu over operations in Gaza, he was embroiled in a very different personal crisis unfolding behind the scenes.

Prosecutor Karim Khan faced allegations that he tried for over a year to force a female assistant to have sex with him and that he touched her inappropriately against her will. He has categorically denied the allegations, saying there was "no truth to the suggestion of misconduct". Court officials have said they may have been made as part of a smear campaign by the Israeli intelligence service.

Two colleagues with whom the accuser had close relationships at the court's headquarters in The Hague reported the misconduct in early May to the independent body that oversees the court, which said it interviewed the woman and closed its investigation five days after she decided not to file a formal complaint. Prosecutor Khan himself was never questioned.

But the matter may not have ended there.

Although the woman declined to comment to The Associated Press, people close to her say her initial reluctance was fueled by distrust of the domestic watchdog, and she has urged member states that oversee the International Criminal Court (ICC) to initiate an external investigation. An ICC official with knowledge of the case, who spoke to the AP news agency on condition of anonymity, confirmed that the request remains under review.

These efforts were welcomed by people close to the woman, who still works at the court.

"It's not that he tried just once, or that he put an arm around her shoulders that could be subject to misinterpretation," one of the people told the AP news agency, speaking on condition of anonymity to protect the woman's identity. "It was a repeated pattern of behavior that occurred over a long period of time."

Although the court watchdog could not determine that there was a violation, it nevertheless asked prosecutor Khan in a letter to minimize contact with the woman to protect the rights of all involved and protect the integrity of the court.

Within a few days of the closure of the internal investigative case, the work of the court continued. Prosecutor Khan on May 20 requested the issuance of arrest warrants for Prime Minister Netanyahu, his defense minister and three Hamas leaders on war crimes charges. The prosecutor's request is now being considered by a panel of three judges.

President Joe Biden's administration said it had not been informed in advance, and the president called the prosecution's move to imply an equivalence between Israel and Hamas "outrageous."

While announcing the charges, prosecutor Khan hinted that outside forces were waging a campaign to derail the investigation.

"I insist that all attempts to obstruct, intimidate or improperly influence officials of this court must be stopped immediately," said prosecutor Khan, adding that he would not hesitate to use his authority to investigate anyone suspected of that obstructs justice./ VOA