WASHINGTON – Today, U.S. Senator Ben Cardin (D-Md.), Chair of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, joined Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.), John Thune (R-S.D.), Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), Joni Ernst (R-Iowa), and John Fetterman (D-Pa.), in urging the Assembly of States Parties of the International Criminal Court (ICC) to investigate allegations of misconduct against Prosecutor Karim Khan. In a joint, bipartisan letter to Assembly President Päivi Kaukoranta, the Senators also raised concerns over Prosecutor Khan’s application for arrest warrants for Israel’s Prime Minister and Defense Minister.
“Reports of allegations of misconduct by the ICC Prosecutor are serious and troubling. Such accusations demand full, independent, and transparent investigations by the ICC’s internal mechanisms — and if those prove inadequate, through all available UN processes,” said Chair Cardin. “Until a thorough administrative investigation into the allegations of misconduct is concluded and necessary actions are taken, there is a shadow cast on the Prosecutor’s own investigations. I urge the bodies of the ICC to take action under their authorities to remove any doubt, and to weigh their deliberations carefully.”
“It is no secret that I find the application for arrest warrants against Israeli officials inconsistent with the ICC’s principle of complementarity, and such inconsistency undermines its own efforts to promote and uphold the rule of law globally,” continued Chair Cardin. “Once again, I call on the ICC to apply its own guiding principles in this and all cases.”
In their letter, the Senators reiterated concerns over the Prosecutor’s application for arrest warrants against Israeli leaders. They also noted recent media reports, including an October 25 Associated Press (AP) story, detailing allegations of sexual harassment and workplace misconduct against Prosecutor Khan.
“Other media reports indicate there may have been an effort to suppress these reports through intimidation,” wrote the Senators. “The AP story raises questions as to whether there may have been a connection between the timing of the cancelled consultation with Israeli officials and the inquiry into allegations of misconduct against Prosecutor Khan.”
Click HERE to read the full letter.
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