The Wall Street Journal revealed Sunday that the Chief Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court (ICC) Karim Khan, allegedly tried to persuade a woman who had accused him of sexual assault to withdraw her complaint, claiming that publicizing the allegations would damage his ability to issue arrest warrants against Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and then-Defense Minister Yoav Gallant.
The Circumstances and Pressure
According to the report, the accusations first emerged in November 2024—shortly before the ICC, at Khan’s request, issued arrest warrants for Netanyahu and Gallant. The accuser, a Malaysian lawyer who had worked with Khan for several years, claimed that he sexually assaulted her in multiple countries. She said Khan warned her that filing a complaint would harm “justice for the victims.”
Khan reportedly contacted the accuser and urged her to retract the allegations, arguing that making them public could “harm the Palestinian arrest warrants.”
He also claimed that resigning would appear as “fleeing from Palestine” and cause serious damage to the Court’s reputation.
Details of the Assaults
According to the published testimony, the sexual assaults took place over a prolonged period and in several countries. In one incident, while attending a conference of the ICC at the United Nations headquarters in New York, Khan allegedly invited the accuser to his room at the Millennium Hilton hotel. There, she claimed, he began to touch her sexually despite her attempts to pull away and leave. When she tried to exit the room, he allegedly grabbed her hand forcefully and led her to the bed, where he raped her.
In another incident, in Colombia, Khan reportedly entered the accuser’s hotel room late at night and lay down beside her in bed despite her objections. She said she tried to keep her distance and pretended to be asleep, but he continued to approach and touch her.
Were the Arrest Warrants Compromised?
The revelations raise serious questions about whether Khan’s decision to issue arrest warrants for Netanyahu and Gallant may have been influenced by personal motivations. The decision itself drew broad criticism from Western countries, including the United States and Israel.
Within the ICC, there is growing concern that the arrest warrants may have been compromised by Khan’s personal interests—especially in light of allegations that he attempted to pressure the accuser and other staff members not to report the misconduct.
