ICC confirms probe into alleged misconduct by war crimes prosecutor

The International Criminal Court's governing body will launch an external probe into its chief prosecutor, Karim Khan, over alleged sexual misconduct, it said in a statement on Monday, confirming a previous report by Reuters.

"An external investigation is ... being pursued in order to ensure a fully independent, impartial and fair process", the statement said, also calling upon all parties to cooperate fully.

Khan said in a statement that he would stay on in his key function of overseeing investigations into alleged war crimes, including in the Israel-Gaza conflict, while any issues relevant to the investigation would be handled by deputy prosecutors.

Khan has previously denied allegations of misconduct that were reported to the court's governing body last month. At that time, he asked the court's own internal oversight body to investigate them.

ICC judges are reviewing Khan's May request for arrest warrants against Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu, his defense chief and Hamas leaders. Khan said the misconduct allegations aligned with a misinformation campaign against his office.

What is the ICC?

The ICC is a permanent court that can prosecute individuals for war crimes, crimes against humanity, genocide and the crime of aggression in member states or by their nationals.