Kangaroo Court: Were Gaza Warrants a Fig Leaf for ICC Chief Prosecutor’s Sex Scandal?
© AP Photo / Peter Dejong
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The International Criminal Court (ICC) has got mired in a sex scandal involving chief prosecutor Karim Khan — who issued arrest warrants for Israel’s Benjamin Netanyahu and Yoav Gallant.
What's Known So Far?
Karim Khan, a British lawyer and the ICC’s chief prosecutor since 2021, allegedly forced his female assistant into non-consensual sex multiple times during missions to New York, Colombia, Congo, Chad, Paris, and at The Hague, according to the Wall Street Journal.
The victim, a Malaysian lawyer in her 30s, stayed in the job fearing retaliation and the loss of a top post that helped cover her dying mother’s medical bills, according to her testimony.
She also worried that going public would undermine Khan’s investigation into Israeli war crimes in Gaza, which she viewed as vital.
She reported the abuse to ICC colleagues on April 29, 2024. Shortly after learning this, Khan announced he was seeking arrest warrants for Israel’s prime minister and defense minister.
On November 21, 2024, the ICC formally issued warrants for Netanyahu, Gallant, and a former Hamas commander over alleged war crimes in Gaza.
Questionable Timing
Critics argue Khan’s arrest warrants were less about justice and more a smokescreen to deflect from his own sex scandal.
Seizing the moment, Israel urged the ICC to withdraw the warrants and suspend its broader war crimes probe, per The Times of Israel.
Khan’s Move Exposes ICC’s Fragility
France and Germany, once staunch ICC backers, signaled they wouldn’t arrest Netanyahu.
Hungary refused to act on the warrant during Netanyahu’s visit and announced its exit from the ICC.
With no enforcement power and a scandal at its core, the ICC’s credibility and impartiality now face serious scrutiny.
