Palmetto State News

U.S. Senators have requested an investigation into allegations of misconduct against ICC Prosecutor Karim A.A. Khan, following his decision to apply for arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Minister of Defense Yoav Gallant. The letter was sent by Senators Lindsey Graham, Ben Cardin, John Thune, Richard Blumenthal, Joni Ernst, and John Fetterman to the Assembly of States Parties (ASP), which oversees the International Criminal Court (ICC).

The senators raised concerns about potential violations of international law during Khan's investigation. They noted that Khan failed to engage properly with Israel and canceled a scheduled meeting with Israeli representatives before announcing the arrest warrant applications. Additionally, media reports suggested that these announcements coincided with allegations of sexual harassment and workplace misconduct against Khan.

The senators wrote: “First, Prosecutor Khan did not comply with the law when he applied for arrest warrants against Israeli government officials… we received notification that members of Prosecutor Khan’s team were scheduled to meet with legal representatives for the State of Israel on May 20 in Israel. To our astonishment, however, members of the Prosecutor’s office never boarded the plane to Israel and the meeting was abruptly canceled just a few hours before it was to take place...Prosecutor Khan’s abrupt cancelation and his announcement of an application for arrest warrants on that same day have always been perplexing."

They further stated: “Second, in addition to these legal concerns regarding Prosecutor Khan’s application for warrants against Israeli officials, there is a cloud hanging over the Prosecutor and his office... If the allegations are substantiated, we urge the Assembly to take all necessary steps available under its authority—up to and including holding a vote for his removal—and to consider the implications on the investigations led by Prosecutor Khan."

The letter concluded with a warning about potential damage to ICC credibility if actions are taken without resolving these allegations: “Any action by the Court regarding arrest warrants for Israeli officials without the benefit of a completed investigation into the serious allegations hanging over Prosecutor Khan would cast doubt on the Court’s actions.”

For more details on their concerns or recommendations regarding this matter, readers can access their full letter online.