An independent judicial panel has cleared International Criminal Court (ICC) Prosecutor Karim Khan of allegations involving misconduct and abuse of authority.
The panel, composed of three judges selected by the ICC's executive oversight body, issued an 85-page report in March. The judges stated they were "unanimously of the opinion that the factual findings by OIOS do not establish misconduct or breach of duty under the relevant legal framework."
The investigation was conducted by the United Nations Office of Internal Oversight Services (OIOS) between November 2024 and December 2025. The probe examined more than 5,000 pages of material, including interviews and collected evidence.
Disputed summaries and political pressure
Despite the panel's exoneration, a leaked summary of the OIOS report has caused friction within the court's oversight bodies. The summary, circulated by the Assembly of States Parties (ASP) Bureau, drew from an early overview section rather than the final findings.
Legal counsel for Mr. Khan, who assisted in drafting the defense submissions, alleges the summary misaligned with the actual conclusions of the investigation. The counsel noted that the leaked document gave the false impression that the OIOS had made conclusive factual findings regarding sexual misconduct allegations.
Critics and human rights organizations have since pressured the Bureau to disregard the judicial panel's decision. The International Federation for Human Rights previously argued that an independent body must conduct a legal assessment of the OIOS findings to ensure impartiality.
However, the defense maintains that the evidence lacks corroborating witnesses for the misconduct claims. The counsel warned that ignoring the panel's unanimous conclusion risks undermining the independence of the Office of the Prosecutor.
Legal experts involved in the case argue that the current push to overturn the findings threatens the presumption of innocence. They contend that political actors within the Bureau should not use the investigation to sanction a prosecutor who has already been cleared by an independent judicial body.
