Afrasianet - International Criminal Court (ICC) Prosecutor Karim Khan stepped down temporarily on  Friday as an investigation into his alleged sexual misconduct by United Nations investigators drew to a close. 

A statement announcing that Khan will be taking administrative leave is expected, according to a source in the prosecutor's office. Karim Khan denied the misconduct accusations, which were reported to the court's governing body, in October 2024. 

When the charges against Khan surfaced, several NGOs and ICC staff called on the prosecutor to step down temporarily for the duration of the investigation, but he chose to remain in office.

Sources, who asked not to be identified to discuss a sensitive issue, told Western media that Karim Khan spoke to UN investigators last week, in what is believed to be the final interview of the external investigation into the accusations, which began in December. It is not yet clear when the investigation will end, what its outcome will be and what it means.

A source in the prosecutor's office said it was unclear who would take over Karim Khan's duties at the ICC.

According to an investigation published by the Wall Street Journal, one of Khan's aides, a staff member in her thirties, testified to UN officials that she was "repeatedly harassed and assaulted by Khan, in various parts of the world, during official duties."

The testimony includes a detailed account of an incident that occurred in December 2023, at the Millennium Hilton Hotel in New York City, where Khan invited her to his suite late at night, where he said he "sexually harassed and assaulted her despite her repeated attempts to leave the room."

The woman, who is married with a child, said that "this behavior was not an isolated incident, but was repeated repeatedly during business trips to Colombia, Congo, Chad, Paris and even in The Hague, the seat of the court, including at Khan's wife's house."

According to the newspaper, the complaint was filed as part of an internal investigation first, but the file was quickly closed, raising suspicions of trying to cover up or downplay the accusations. Later, it was decided to open an external investigation under the supervision of an independent body to ensure transparency, amid increasing pressure from current and former court staff.

Khan denied all allegations through his lawyer, considering them completely unfounded, stressing his commitment to cooperate fully with any investigation.

The accusations came before Karim Khan's announcement of the most sensational arrest warrant in the court's history, targeting Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. The announcement set an unusual precedent, being the first time a prosecutor at the court has sought prosecution against a leader allied to the West.

The move sparked an international political and legal uproar, especially since the United States had been working for months to block such action. The timing of the announcement has also raised doubts and questions in diplomatic and legal circles about whether Khan is trying to divert attention from the escalating scandal linked to accusations of sexual harassment and assault.

The ICC confirmed in a statement that it would open a substantive investigation into its chief prosecutor Karim Khan for sexual misconduct. 

Khan said in a statement that he would continue his main task of overseeing investigations into alleged war crimes, including in the conflict between Israel and Gaza, while his lawmakers would deal with any issues related to the upcoming investigation, Reuters reported.

Earlier, Western media, citing sources, reported that the ICC's governing body would launch an external investigation into Prosecutor Karim Khan over allegations of harassment.

According to Reuters, an agreement has been reached on an external investigation into the ICC's Assembly of States Parties, but it is not known who will conduct it.

On October 20, the British newspaper "Daily Mail" reported that the prosecutor of the International Criminal Court in The Hague, Karim Khan, is accused of acting inappropriately against one of the employees.