Karim Khan sexual abuse allegations were laid out publicly on Thursday when an ICC staffer broke her anonymity in a televised interview. The testimony comes just days before the court’s 125 member states vote on whether to remove the chief prosecutor from office.
The woman, identified only as Sarah, worked as Khan’s direct special assistant between 2023 and 2024. Speaking to CNN’s Christiane Amanpour, she described a pattern of conduct that she said escalated over time.
A second woman, using the pseudonym Patricia, also gave an interview. Both say their decision to speak now is about accountability, not politics.
ICC Disciplinary Process Heads To Member States Vote
Sarah, 39 and from Malaysia, told Amanpour that Khan’s behavior began with small boundary crossings.
“It was kind of like encroachments on the boundaries slowly – not just physically, but emotionally as well,” she said.
She alleged the most serious incident happened during an official visit to Colombia. According to Sarah, Khan entered her hotel room while she pretended to sleep.
“He started to put his hand down my leggings, to grope me, to put his tongue in my ear,” she said.
Patricia worked for Khan as an intern in 2009, before he joined the ICC. Her face was concealed during the interview. She described repeated unwanted contact at his private residence.
“Without fail every time I was there it was a constant onslaught of him coming on to me, groping me, grabbing me, kissing my face, touching my hair, trying to get me to engage in intimate activity with him,” Patricia said.
Khan has denied both accounts “in their entirety.” His lawyer, Sareta Ashraph, told CNN the full record contradicts the broadcast.
“The complete evidential picture paints a far different picture than there’s been presented here today,” Ashraph said.
She also criticized the timing. “This foray into the media comes a week before the vote on 24 July,” Ashraph said. “The evidence that has been presented, the testimony presented is already before the states along with a huge amount of other relevant information that has not been presented on this programme.”
Chief Prosecutor Misconduct Case Reaches Critical Point
Next week, member states will gather at UN headquarters in New York for an unprecedented vote. The question: whether to remove Khan, who was elected in 2021 to a nine-year term.
Last month, the ICC’s executive committee suspended him. It concluded he committed serious misconduct related to Sarah’s complaint and referred the matter to all 125 states.
Khan’s defense team argues the process is “procedurally unfair” and politically motivated. They have suggested Sarah’s allegations are linked to Khan’s 2024 decision to seek arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his then defense minister.
Documents seen by the Guardian reject that theory. The disciplinary panel found “no evidence to support claims Sarah was being used by third parties, including intelligence agencies.”
Sarah addressed the claim directly.
“If ever there was even a hint of suspicion that I was a state agent of any kind, I would have been dismissed,” she said.
She added: “My complaint was because of what happened to me, not for any other reason.”
The chief prosecutor’s office leads investigations into genocide, war crimes and crimes against humanity. Under Khan, the office requested arrest warrants related to the Israel-Gaza war and the situation in Myanmar.
The allegations have thrown the court into disarray. Since late 2024, when details first leaked, deputies have handled day-to-day operations while Khan contested the suspension.
Legal experts say the vote will test the ICC’s credibility. The court prosecutes world leaders for atrocities, so how it handles misconduct at the top matters.
“Member states are being asked to weigh due process against the need to protect staff,” said one ICC observer. “There’s no easy answer.”
Inside the court, staff reaction has been divided. Some say Sarah’s decision to go public puts pressure on states to act. Others worry about trial by media ahead of a formal decision.
Patricia said she waited 17 years to speak because she feared career damage. “Speaking now is about making sure this doesn’t happen to someone else,” she told Amanpour.
The ICC has issued no new public statement. Officials say the matter is before member states and remains confidential.
Ashraph urged states to look beyond the interviews. “There is testimony, documents, and context that was not included on CNN,” she said.
Supporters of Khan argue the allegations are being used to undermine his work. Critics say the court must show it applies the same standards to its own leadership that it demands of suspects.
Sarah remains an ICC employee. She said she came forward despite the personal cost.
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The vote on 24 July requires a majority of member states. If Khan is removed, deputy prosecutors will continue the office’s work until a new chief prosecutor is elected.
For now, the court is in limbo. Major cases are proceeding, but strategic decisions are on hold.
The Guardian reported the interviews and reviewed disciplinary documents as part of its coverage of the ICC.
Karim Khan sexual abuse allegations have moved from internal complaint to public debate to a formal vote. The outcome will shape how the world’s permanent war crimes court handles power, accountability, and trust.
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