The chief prosecutor of the International Criminal Court (ICC) has temporarily stepped down in the midst of an investigation into his alleged sexual misconduct.
Karim Khan made the unprecedented move as the United Nations investigation into allegations against him nears its end, his office said on Friday.
There is no clear procedure for replacing Mr Khan, the British lawyer who moved to charge Benjamin Netanyahu with war crimes over his actions in Gaza.
Mr Khan was accused of pressuring a member of his legal team to have sex with him. The alleged victim said he tried to silence her by citing the plight of the Palestinians.
According to the Wall Street Journal, witness testimony given to the UN claims that Mr Khan told the woman: “The casualties [of her allegations] will unfortunately be three: You and your family, me and my family and the justice of the victims.”
On another occasion – according to testimony made to the UN – he reportedly said: “Think about the Palestinian arrest warrants.”
Temporary leave
Mr Khan’s office said the prosecutor had taken leave until the end of the investigation by the UN Office of Internal Oversight Services.
The ICC’s two deputy prosecutors would take over his duties in the meantime, it added.
Mr Khan stepping back will cause further trouble for the ICC, after its president said sanctions by President Donald Trump have put the court itself at risk.
The sanctions were prompted by the ICC investigation into Israel, and the issuing of arrest warrants for Israeli officials.
Khan’s lawyers did not immediately respond to a written request for comment. The prosecutor has denied allegations of misconduct that were reported to the court’s governing body in October last year.
Interview with UN investigators
When the allegations against Khan emerged, several NGOs and ICC staff members called for the prosecutor to step down for the duration of the investigation, but he stayed on.
Sources told Reuters that Khan had spoken to UN investigators last week in what was believed to be the final interview of a months-long outside investigation into the allegations that started in December.
It was unclear when the probe would finish.
The ICC currently has high-profile war crimes investigations under way into the Israel-Hamas conflict and Russia’s war in Ukraine.
At Khan’s request, the ICC issued arrest warrants for President Vladimir Putin on suspicion of deporting children from Ukraine, and for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for alleged war crimes in Gaza.
Neither Russia or Israel are members of the court and both deny the accusations and reject ICC jurisdiction.