International court prosecutor who charged Netanyahu accused of sexual misconduct by aide

As the International Criminal Court’s top prosecutor sought war crimes charges this year against Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu over actions in Gaza, he was engulfed in a very different personal crisis playing out behind the scenes.Karim Khan faced accusations that he tried for more than a year to coerce a female aide into a sexual relationship and groped her against her will.He’s categorically denied the allegations, saying there was “no truth to suggestions of misconduct.”Court officials have said they may have been made as part of an Israeli intelligence smear campaign.Two co-workers in whom the woman confided at the ICC’s headquarters at The Hague reported the alleged misconduct in early May to the court’s independent watchdog, which says it interviewed the woman and ended its inquiry after five days when she opted against filing a formal complaint.Khan himself was never questioned.But the matter may not be over.While the woman declined to comment to The Associated Press, people close to her say her initial reluctance was driven by distrust of the in-house watchdog and she has asked the body of member-states that oversees the ICC to launch an external probe.An ICC official with knowledge of the matter who spoke to AP on condition of anonymity confirmed that the request remains under consideration.Those efforts were applauded by those close to the woman, who still works at the court.“This wasn’t a one-time advance or an arm around the shoulder that could be subject to misinterpretation,” one of the people told AP, speaking on condition on anonymity to shield the woman’s identity.

“It was a full-on, repeated pattern of conduct that was carried out over a long period of time.”While the court’s watchdog could not determine wrongdoing, it nonetheless urged Khan in a memo to minimize contact with the woman to protect the rights of all involved and safeguard the court’s integrity.Within days of the watchdog’s shelving of the ...