New investigation against the Hague prosecutor who issued arrest warrants for Netanyahu

On Sunday, September 14, 2025, the British tabloid Daily Mail reported the start of a new investigation against Karim Khan, the chief prosecutor of the International Criminal Court (ICC) in The Hague, who issued international arrest warrants for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Defense Minister Yoav Galant on suspicion of war crimes.

Subject of the Investigation

The new inquiry concerns alleged misconduct by Khan and adds to an ongoing investigation into sexual harassment allegations that began last year.

According to sources mentioned in the Daily Mail, the investigation focuses on allegations that Khan conducted inappropriate and secret discussions with a judge during the handling of another war crimes case. This case involved Maxime Mokom, a former militia leader from the Central African Republic, accused of murders, rapes, and other serious crimes.

Changes in Charges

Mokom was transferred to The Hague in March 2022, four years after the arrest warrant was issued. However, in October 2023, Khan unexpectedly dropped the charges — ten months after they were filed — contrary to the opinions of many of his colleagues.

According to the investigation, Khan dropped the charges after discussing the evidence with Judge Rosario Aitala and making repeated visits to the judge’s office. The other judges in the case were reportedly not informed of these discussions. At the time, Khan stated that there was insufficient evidence for prosecution, acknowledging that the decision might upset survivors and their families.

Reaction of Court Staff

The publication reported that at least five ICC staff members have been interviewed in recent months by investigators from the court’s oversight body. One source indicated that this situation poses a “bigger problem for the court than the sexual harassment allegations because it affects the integrity of case management at the ICC.”

Khan’s Defense

Khan’s lawyers denied the allegations, claiming that it is part of a campaign of revenge for the arrest warrants issued for Netanyahu and Galant. They stated that “various parties have tried to undermine his authority and destroy his reputation through the media as a direct consequence of his role in issuing the warrants.” Khan, who is 55 years old, has held the position of prosecutor at the ICC since 2021.

In Israel, he became known for issuing arrest warrants for Netanyahu and Galant on suspicion of war crimes in Gaza, and earlier against Russian President Vladimir Putin for alleged war crimes in Ukraine.

Sexual Harassment Allegations

Last summer, it was revealed that a woman in her 30s accused Khan of sexual harassment that lasted over a period from 2023 to 2024, alleging that he tried to pressure her into intimate relations. An external group appointed by the UN began an investigation, and earlier this year, Khan suspended his powers until its completion.

Second Victim

In August, the British newspaper Guardian reported on a second woman who accused Khan of ongoing sexual harassment starting in 2009 when she interned with him at the ICC. She claimed that Khan touched her and repeatedly persuaded her to have intimate relations with him despite their unequal positions. The woman described the events as a “constant onslaught,” leaving her confused and humiliated.

Furthermore, the Guardian noted that when the allegations surfaced last year, Khan and his entourage suggested that these statements might be part of a discrediting campaign organized by pro-Israel groups seeking to hinder his actions against Israeli leaders.

Investigation Verifies Facts

Nevertheless, the publication reported that investigations conducted by the Guardian and other resources, such as Le Monde, found no evidence that both women made fabricated allegations as part of such a scheme, even if later pro-Israel activities attempted to use the scandal to their advantage. In particular, the first complainant, known for her support of Khan’s investigation into Gazplan, was stressed by suggestions that her complaint was somehow linked to Israeli interests.

According to five sources within the ICC interviewed by the Guardian, Khan’s team concluded that it is unlikely that the complaints are part of any organized discrediting campaign. One source noted that pro-Israel forces “might have used this story, but they were not its creators.”