ICC sexual harassment probe marred by conflict of interest

The UN agency, which is expected to investigate the sexual harassment claims against ICC prosecutor Karim Khan, employed his wife for two years.

By World Israel News Staff

The announcement of a probe into alleged sexual harassment by the International Criminal Court’s head prosecutor has raised concerns over a possible conflict of interest, as the agency expected to investigate the claims has extensive ties to the prosecutor’s wife.

ICC prosecutor Karim Khan groped a female aide on multiple occasions, “sexually touching her” on a work trip and knocking on the door of her hotel room at 3 a.m., according to the account of the alleged victim.

The female ICC staff member refused to cooperate with an internal ICC investigation into the matter, saying that she believed the investigation was designed to exonerate Khan and that she did not want to lend legitimacy to the biased process.

According to an AP report, Päivi Kaukoranta, a Finnish diplomat, said last week that Khan would be investigated by the U.N.’s Office of Internal Oversight Services.

That decision has raised serious concerns over whether the body could be objective, as Khan’s wife, Dato Shyamala Alagendra, worked for that agency for two years.

Notably, Alagendra – also an attorney – investigated sexual harassment claims as part of her work with the agency.

Two human rights groups, the International Federation for Human Rights and Women’s Initiatives for Gender Justice, issued a joint statement urging that Khan be suspended while the allegations are investigated and questioning the choice of the UN agency to investigate.

The groups called for “thoroughly vetting the chosen investigative body, firm, or institution to ensure it is free from conflicts of interest and possesses demonstrated expertise.”

They also stressed that Khan’s “close relationship” with the agency was problematic, and that concerns over conflict of interest be “openly and transparently addressed” before the agency is officially tasked with handling the investigation against him.

Although the ICC officially maintains a zero-tolerance policy on sexual harassment, many employees feel there is a culture of impunity within the organization for senior employees.

In 2020, external investigators wrote a report about predatory behavior by senior staff towards female employees.

“There is a general reluctance, if not extreme fear, among many staff to report any alleged act of misconduct or misbehavior” by senior officials, read the report.

“The perception is that they are all immune.”