Karim Khan: The British ICC chief prosecutor pursuing Israel’s Netanyahu

He has been described arsenic an “independent, fearless and pragmatic prosecutor”, but to many, the ICC main authoritative Karim Khan is known champion arsenic the antheral pursuing Israel’s premier curate for crimes including execution and persecution.

In a vocation that has spanned much than 3 decades, the British barrister has developed a beardown estimation arsenic an planetary transgression instrumentality and quality rights lawyer.

He has defended radical specified arsenic Charles Taylor, the erstwhile president of Liberia, and William Ruto, the existent president of Kenya.

But astir recently, his sanction has made headlines aft his arguable petition to the International Criminal Court (ICC) to contented apprehension warrants for the Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his erstwhile defence minister, Yoav Gallant.

All the signs are that helium volition person the capableness to beryllium an independent, fearless and pragmatic prosecutor

Professor Philippe Sands

Born successful Edinburgh successful 1970, Mr Khan studied astatine King’s College London (KCL) earlier being called to the barroom successful 1992.

According to his CV, published online by the ICC, helium worked arsenic a crown authoritative astatine the Crown Prosecution Service of England and Wales and, later, a elder authoritative until 1996.

A twelvemonth later, Mr Khan began to enactment for the International Criminal Tribunal for the erstwhile Yugoslavia (ICTY) and Rwanda (ICTR), courts acceptable up by The Hague to prosecute warfare crimes some during the Yugoslav Wars and successful Rwanda, respectively.

From there, helium worked his mode up successful peculiar courts successful The Hague and developed a estimation arsenic a defence lawyer.

He controversially helped to support Charles Taylor against allegations of warfare crimes, and William Ruto successful a crimes-against-humanity lawsuit astatine the ICC.

The second was dropped successful 2016 aft a palmy “no lawsuit to answer” submission by the defence.

In February 2021, Mr Khan was elected main authoritative astatine the ICC and was sworn successful connected June 16.

Professor Philippe Sands, who has known Mr Khan since teaching him planetary instrumentality astatine KCL, told The Guardian successful 2022: “All the signs are that helium volition person the capableness to beryllium an independent, fearless and pragmatic prosecutor.

“He’s had an highly awesome vocation arsenic an advocate. He’s got immense acquisition and brings to that occupation existent cognition and acquisition of what it means to prepare, behaviour and litigate an planetary transgression trial.”

Mr Khan has said helium believed the ICC should enactment swiftly connected allegations, telling the International Bar Association past year: “There’s nary statute of limitations for warfare crimes.

“There has to beryllium a much acute realisation that erstwhile radical are successful panic and fearing for their lives, the instrumentality has to beryllium seen to beryllium applicable to them. It can’t beryllium this attack that we instrumentality a decennary earlier we move.”

He besides visited Israel and the Palestinian territories successful December 2023, and spoke to the families of victims of the October 7 attacks carried retired by Hamas.

He said afterwards: “During this mission, I had a elemental message, my bureau is present to guarantee that the extortion of the instrumentality is felt by all.”

In May this twelvemonth Mr Khan sought apprehension warrants for Mr Netanyahu and Mr Gallant, accusing them of crimes including murder, intentionally attacking civilians and persecution.

In a statement, Mr Khan alleged that Israel “has intentionally and systematically deprived the civilian colonisation successful each parts of Gaza of objects indispensable to quality survival”, by closing borderline crossings into the territory and restricting indispensable supplies.

At the aforesaid time, helium accused 3 Hamas leaders, Mohammed Deif, Yahya Sinwar and Ismail Haniyeh, of crimes linked to the October 7 attacks.

The 3 leaders were accused of crimes including murder, extermination, taking hostages, rape and torture.

A three-judge sheet reached a unanimous determination to contented the warrants connected November 21.

Mr Netanyahu and different Israeli leaders person condemned the determination arsenic antisemitic, with the premier curate saying Israel “rejects with disgust the absurd and mendacious actions”.

In a connection released by his office, Mr Netanyahu said: “There is thing much conscionable than the warfare that Israel has been waging successful Gaza.”

US President Joe Biden has antecedently criticised the authoritative and expressed enactment for Israel’s close to support itself against Hamas. Hamas besides condemned Mr Khan’s request.

The main prosecutor’s arguable determination to question the apprehension warrants has coincided with an probe into allegations of intersexual misconduct.

According to an nonfiction published successful The Guardian successful October, the accusations see claims of unwanted intersexual touching and “abuse” implicit an extended period, arsenic good arsenic coercive behaviour and maltreatment of authority.

On November 21, the Assembly of States Parties (ASP) said it would unfastened an extracurricular probe into the claims.

ASP president Paivi Kaukoranta said successful a statement: “An outer probe is truthful being pursued successful bid to guarantee a afloat independent, impartial and just process.”

The Associated Press reported that Mr Khan has categorically denied the accusations and declined to measurement down during the investigation.

In his ain connection connected Monday, Mr Khan reportedly said helium was alert of the caller probe and had requested that his 2 lawman prosecutors instrumentality work for the substance internally.

He said helium welcomed “the accidental to prosecute successful this process”, adding: “I volition beryllium continuing each different functions arsenic prosecutor, successful enactment with my mandate, crossed situations addressed by the International Criminal Court.”

The PA quality bureau has approached Mr Khan for comment.