Qatar tried to discredit woman accusing ICC prosecutor of rape – report

Qatari-link intelligence operation reportedly sought to shield former ICC Chief Prosecutor Karim Khan – who drafted arrest warrants for Israeli leaders – by discrediting one of his accusers.

By World Israel News Staff

The government of Qatar has engaged in a covert intelligence-gathering operation intended to shield the embattled chief prosecutor of the International Criminal Court from allegations of sexual assault by discrediting one of his accusers, according to a report by The Guardian.

Citing leaked files and sources familiar with the operation, the report said Qatar conducted an “intrusive operation” into the personal life of one of the women who accused ICC Chief Prosecutor Karim Khan of sexual assault. Due to the allegations, Khan has since stepped down temporarily.

Khan, the head of the investigation against Israeli leaders for their conduct during the war against Hamas in the Gaza Strip, drafted arrest warrants issued by the ICC in 2024 against Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant.

In May 2024, a female staff member accused Khan of several acts of misconduct, beginning in December 2023, including one incident in which he allegedly forced himself on her. The complaint was not publicly disclosed until half a year later.

A second accuser, known by the pseudonym “Patricia,” has also come forward, claiming that in 2009, Khan repeatedly behaved inappropriately toward her, making unwanted sexual advances and pressuring her to have sex with him while they were working together.

Khan’s central role in pursuing war crimes charges against Israeli leaders while he was already under investigation in connection to the first sexual misconduct complaint has sparked allegations the British barrister pushed for indictments against Netanyahu and Gallant to distract from the allegations against him.

According to the Guardian report, Qatar has sought to bolster Khan’s position, and by extension the arrest warrants, by orchestrating a campaign intended to smear the first accuser.

The operation was run by the London-based firm Highgate, a self-described “strategic advisory company.”

Working with at least one other intelligence contractor, Highgate sought to link the accuser with Israel and thus discredit her claims of sexual abuse by Khan.

Highgate and the intel contractor probed the accuser’s personal life, seeking information about her family – including her child – her passport details, and other material.

The operation failed, however, to uncover any connection between the woman and Israel.

Individuals briefed on the operation said that Highgate was commissioned by a high-level diplomatic unit within the Qatari government.

Doha has not responded to the report.

Highgate issued a statement confirming that it was involved in an operation related to the ICC but denied the operation targeted a specific individual, and denied the effort was financed by Qatar.