By Muhammad Abubakar
The International Criminal Court’s (ICC) chief prosecutor, Karim Khan, has temporarily stepped down from his duties as an investigation into allegations of sexual misconduct against him gets underway.
According to a report by The Wall Street Journal, a junior staff member has accused Mr Khan of forcing himself on her—an allegation he strongly denies. The ICC has not released further details but confirmed that Mr Khan would take a leave of absence to allow for an impartial probe.
Mr Khan has recently been at the centre of international legal proceedings, having sought arrest warrants for leaders of both Israel and Hamas over alleged war crimes committed during the ongoing conflict in Gaza.
In his absence, the ICC announced that Khan’s two deputies will assume his responsibilities to ensure continuity in the Court’s operations.
The investigation is ongoing.