ICC vulnerable after chief prosecutor dismissed
In the media image: Vincent van Zeijst on Wikimedia Commons
The ICC’s chief prosecutor has been dismissed following allegations of sexual misconduct. Khan’s departure comes at a challenging time for the Court. Larissa van den Herik comments in NOS media: ‘the ICC needs an impeccable reputation now more than ever.’
The States Parties to the International Criminal Court (ICC) decided to remove Karim Khan from office after allegations of serious sexual misconduct had hung over him for two years. Khan denies the allegations and claims they are politically motivated, though there is no evidence to support that claim. Arrest warrants issued under his leadership, including those for Russian President Vladimir Putin and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, remain fully in force. The departure of the chief prosecutor does not affect the validity of those warrants.
According to Van den Herik, the affair is an additional burden for the ICC, which is already going through a particularly difficult time. In her view, however, the Court’s most serious challenges are not related to the allegations against Khan, but rather to the considerable political pressure it has faced in recent years. For some time, the United States and Israel have criticised and sought to undermine the Court. ‘The US sees the ICC as an attack on its sovereignty,’ Van den Herik says, adding that it would prefer the Court not to exist. For that very reason, she argues, it is crucial that ‘people and states rally around the ICC now to protect both the Court and international law.’
More information?
Watch the NOS news broadcast (from 12:32 min) or listen to the NOS Radio 1 broadcast (both in Dutch)