Israel submits request to disqualify ICC prosecutor Khan, annul Netanyahu, Gallant arrest warrants
New information suggests that ICC prosecutor Karim Khan used false statements to target Israel to distract from sexual harassment allegations.
Israel appealed Monday to the Appeals Chamber of the International Criminal Court (ICC) to quash the arrest warrants against Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, the Foreign Ministry confirmed.
Additionally, Israel filed a request with the ICC Appeals Chamber seeking to disqualify ICC Prosecutor Karim Khan from any involvement in any case against Israel.
The request comes amid reports suggesting Khan used false statements to target Israel in an attempt to distract from sexual harassment allegations made against Khan by a female employee he managed.
The State of Israel considers that Khan’s actions caused irreparable damage.
The alleged sexual abuse, including abuse of authority, coercive sexual behavior and abuse of authority, allegedly took place during business trips, in Khan’s office at the ICC and at his home.
ICC PROSECUTOR Karim Khan speaks during an interview in The Hague earlier this year. (credit: PIROSCHKA VAN DE WOUW/REUTERS)
Khan denies allegations against him
Khan has repeatedly denied any mistreatment, and his lawyers have claimed that Khan “was the subject of an orchestrated campaign” to discredit him.
The woman who accused Khan has waited nearly a year for the UN to complete its investigation.
“Where does it stop and how much will be allowed?” she asked. “If this is what international justice looks like, this is not the system I have dedicated my life to serving. I have always done my work quietly and under the radar. I came to serve, not to be seen.”
