The International Criminal Court’s top prosecutor who issued an arrest warrant for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu over “war crimes” in Gaza was accused of trying to suppress a sexual misconduct investigation against himself.

Karim Khan, 54, faced accusations that he tried for more than a year to push a female aide into a sexual relationship and then groped her against her will.

During the investigation, which was launched amid the probe against Israeli and Hamas officials, multiple ICC staff claimed Khan and an ally at the court repeatedly pushed the woman to recant her statements to protect his reputation, the Guardian reported.

The British-appointed prosecutor and another ICC official, who was not named, allegedly spoke to the woman in person and over the phone about the case after Khan learned of the internal probe against him, four sources with knowledge of the investigation told the UK outlet.

The conversations were held despite the court advising Khan to avoid one-on-one contact with the alleged victim.

Khan has maintained that he never coerced the woman or groped her, with the court’s anonymous briefings suggesting that the prosecutor was the target of a smear campaign over his decision to go after Netanyahu.

“There is no truth to suggestions of such misconduct,” Khan’s statement said. “I have worked in diverse contexts for 30 years, and there has never been such a complaint lodged against me by anyone.”

Two of the victims’ co-workers said The Hague reported the alleged misconduct in May, which ended only after five days when the woman chose not to file a formal complaint.

While the woman has declined to discuss the case with reporters, people close to her say her decision to drop the case was driven by a distrust of the ICC and its internal watchdog group.

What to know about the International Criminal Court

What is the International Criminal Court?

The International Criminal Court (ICC) is a global court established in 2002 with the power to prosecute the gravest crimes of concern to the international community, including war crimes, crimes against humanity and genocide. It is a court of last resort that intervenes when member states are unwilling or unable to do so themselves. It is governed by an international treaty called the Rome Statute and is based in the Dutch city of The Hague.

Are Israel and the US members?

The ICC has 124 member states and can prosecute crimes committed by nationals of member states or on the territory of member states by others. Israel and the US are not members and do not recognize its jurisdiction. Palestinian territories were admitted as a member state in 2015.

Will Netanyahu be arrested?

All 124 member states of the ICC are obliged by the court’s founding statute to arrest and hand over any individual subject to an ICC arrest warrant if they set foot on their territory. However, the court has no police force and has no means of enforcing an arrest. Sanctions for not arresting someone despite a warrant are also little more than a diplomatic slap on the wrist.

Can Netanyahu still travel?

Yes, an ICC arrest warrant is not a travel ban. However, the prime minister does risk arrest if he travels to a member state. There are also no restrictions on political leaders, lawmakers or diplomats from meeting individuals with an ICC arrest warrant against them.

A compilation of whistleblower documents and interviews acquired by the Associated Press alleged that Khan worked together with the woman after he noticed her in the ICC and had her transferred to his office with a pay bump.

The sources said the two had a private dinner in London, where Khan allegedly took the woman’s hand and complained about his marriage.

She then began joining him on official trips, with one resulting in Khan allegedly asking her to go with him to a hotel bed where he “sexually touched her.”

Other sexual misconduct incidents with Khan, including one where he allegedly pressed his tongue on her ear, ultimately left the woman traumatized and “experiencing severe emotional distress,” current and former ICC staffers told the Guardian.

Despite the woman dropping the case and the ICC concluding its investigation, the details became public when an anonymous account on X called @ICC_Leaks published some of the allegations against Khan online.

The leak shocked the globe given Khan’s status in the world of international justice and decades of commitment to the law.

Appointed as the ICC’s top prosecutor in 2021, Khan previously served as the assistant secretary-general of the United Nations and was the first special adviser and head of the UN Investigative Team.

His team sought to hold the Islamic State accountable for its war crimes and crimes against humanity in Iraq between 2018 and 2021.

With Post wires