{"id":118363,"date":"2024-10-25T22:59:05","date_gmt":"2024-10-25T15:59:05","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/hotvideos24.online\/?p=118363"},"modified":"2024-10-25T22:59:05","modified_gmt":"2024-10-25T15:59:05","slug":"international-court-prosecutor-who-charged-netanyahu-faces-sexual-misconduct-accusation","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/hotvideos24.online\/?p=118363","title":{"rendered":"International court prosecutor who charged Netanyahu faces sexual misconduct accusation"},"content":{"rendered":"<p> <script async src=\"https:\/\/pagead2.googlesyndication.com\/pagead\/js\/adsbygoogle.js?client=ca-pub-3711241968723425\"\r\n     crossorigin=\"anonymous\"><\/script>\r\n<ins class=\"adsbygoogle\"\r\n     style=\"display:block\"\r\n     data-ad-format=\"fluid\"\r\n     data-ad-layout-key=\"-fb+5w+4e-db+86\"\r\n     data-ad-client=\"ca-pub-3711241968723425\"\r\n     data-ad-slot=\"7910942971\"><\/ins>\r\n<script>\r\n     (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({});\r\n<\/script><br \/>\n<\/p>\n<div>\n<p>THE HAGUE, Netherlands (AP) \u2014 As the International Criminal Court\u2019s top prosecutor sought war crimes charges this year against Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu over actions in Gaza, he was engulfed in a very different personal crisis playing out behind the scenes.<\/p>\n<p>Karim Khan faced accusations that he tried for more than a year to coerce a female aide into a sexual relationship and groped her against her will. He\u2019s categorically denied the allegations, saying there was \u201cno truth to suggestions of misconduct.\u201d Court officials have said they may have been made as part of an Israeli intelligence smear campaign. <\/p>\n<p>Two co-workers in whom the woman confided at the <span class=\"LinkEnhancement\"><a class=\"Link AnClick-LinkEnhancement\" data-gtm-enhancement-style=\"LinkEnhancementA\" href=\"https:\/\/www.icc-cpi.int\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">ICC\u2019s headquarters at The Hague<\/a><\/span> reported the alleged misconduct in early May to the court\u2019s independent watchdog, which says it interviewed the woman and ended its inquiry after five days when she opted against filing a formal complaint. Khan himself was never questioned.<\/p>\n<p>But the matter may not be over.<\/p>\n<p>While the woman declined to comment to The Associated Press, people close to her say her initial reluctance was driven by distrust of the in-house watchdog and she has asked the body of member-states that oversees the ICC to launch an external probe. An ICC official with knowledge of the matter who spoke to AP on condition of anonymity confirmed that the request remains under consideration. <\/p>\n<p>Those efforts were applauded by those close to the woman, who still works at the court. <\/p>\n<p>\u201cThis wasn\u2019t a one-time advance or an arm around the shoulder that could be subject to misinterpretation,\u201d one of the people told AP, speaking on condition of anonymity to shield the woman\u2019s identity. \u201cIt was a full-on, repeated pattern of conduct that was carried out over a long period of time.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>While the court\u2019s watchdog could not determine wrongdoing, it nonetheless urged Khan in a memo to minimize contact with the woman to protect the rights of all involved and safeguard the court\u2019s integrity. <\/p>\n<p>Within days of the watchdog\u2019s shelving of the case, the court\u2019s work went on. Khan on May 20 <span class=\"LinkEnhancement\"><a class=\"Link AnClick-LinkEnhancement\" data-gtm-enhancement-style=\"LinkEnhancementA\" href=\"https:\/\/apnews.com\/article\/icc-khan-netanyahu-070941d21ccd1f2b9611032b88527575\">sought arrest warrants against Netanyahu<\/a><\/span>, his defense minister and three Hamas leaders on war crimes charges. A three-judge panel is now weighing that request.<\/p>\n<p>U.S. President Joe Biden\u2019s administration said it was blindsided by the move, with the president calling the prosecution \u201coutrageous\u201d for implying an equivalence between Israel and Hamas. <\/p>\n<p>In announcing the charges, Khan hinted that outside forces were waging a campaign to derail his investigation.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI insist that all attempts to impede, intimidate or improperly influence the officials of this court must cease immediately,\u201d Khan said, adding he wouldn\u2019t hesitate to use his authority to investigate anyone suspected of obstructing justice.<\/p>\n<h2>The allegations<\/h2>\n<p>AP pieced together details of the accusations through whistleblower documents shared with the <span class=\"LinkEnhancement\"><a class=\"Link AnClick-LinkEnhancement\" data-gtm-enhancement-style=\"LinkEnhancementA\" href=\"https:\/\/www.icc-cpi.int\/asp\/iom\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">court\u2019s independent watchdog<\/a><\/span> and interviews with eight ICC officials and individuals close to the woman. All spoke on the condition of anonymity due to the sensitive nature of the allegations or fear of retaliation.<\/p>\n<p>Among the allegations told to AP is that Khan noticed the woman working at another department at ICC and moved her into his office, a transfer that included a pay bump. Their time together allegedly increased after a private dinner in London where Khan took the woman\u2019s hand and complained about his marriage. She became a presence on official trips and meetings with dignitaries.<\/p>\n<p>During one such trip, Khan allegedly asked the woman to rest with him on a hotel bed and then \u201csexually touched her,\u201d according to the documents. Later, he came to her room at 3 a.m. and knocked on the door for 10 minutes.<\/p>\n<p>Other allegedly nonconsensual behavior cited in the documents included locking the door of his office and sticking his hand in her pocket. He also allegedly asked her on several occasions to go on a vacation together.<\/p>\n<p>Upon returning to ICC\u2019s headquarters after one trip, she tearfully complained to two co-workers about Khan\u2019s behavior and the anguish she felt for not standing up to a boss she once admired. <\/p>\n<p>Those co-workers were shocked because Khan always seemed to show exemplary behavior around women and has been outspoken against gender-based crimes. They also weighed the accusations against the backdrop of well-publicized attempts by <span class=\"LinkEnhancement\"><a class=\"Link AnClick-LinkEnhancement\" data-gtm-enhancement-style=\"LinkEnhancementA\" href=\"https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/world\/article\/2024\/may\/28\/spying-hacking-intimidation-israel-war-icc-exposed\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">intelligence agents from Israel and elsewhere to penetrate the court<\/a><\/span>, which created a work environment plagued by intrigue and mistrust.<\/p>\n<p>But in the wake of the #MeToo movement, no powerful man is above scrutiny, and the co-workers complied with court workplace guidelines that encouraged the reporting of misconduct by senior officials. <\/p>\n<p>After months of inaction and whispered rumors of a brewing scandal, an <span class=\"LinkEnhancement\"><a class=\"Link AnClick-LinkEnhancement\" data-gtm-enhancement-style=\"LinkEnhancementA\" href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/ICC_Leaks\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">anonymous account on X called @ICC_Leaks<\/a><\/span> last week began bringing some of the allegations to light. <\/p>\n<p>Israel\u2019s allies in the U.S. Congress have also seized on the would-be scandal. Sen. Lindsey Graham is seeking records about whether the misconduct accusations played any role in <span class=\"LinkEnhancement\"><a class=\"Link AnClick-LinkEnhancement\" data-gtm-enhancement-style=\"LinkEnhancementA\" href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/LindseyGrahamSC\/status\/1849176312222494902\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Khan\u2019s decision<\/a><\/span> in May to cancel an aide\u2019s planned visit to Israel and move ahead with the war crimes charges. <\/p>\n<p>\u201cAnother cloud \u2014 a moral one \u2014 hangs over prosecutor Khan\u2019s abrupt decision to abandon engagement with Israel and seek arrest warrants,\u201d the South Carolina Republican wrote in a letter to the court\u2019s oversight authority.<\/p>\n<p>Khan, who is 54 and married with two children, said in a statement there was \u201cno truth\u201d to the accusations, and that in 30 years of scandal-free investigative work he always has stood with victims of sexual harassment and abuse.<\/p>\n<p>Khan added that he would be willing, if asked, to cooperate with any inquiry, saying it is essential that any accusations \u201care thoroughly listened to, examined and subjected to a proper process.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Without naming any entity directly, he noted that both he and the court have been the target in recent months of \u201ca wide range of attacks and threats,\u201d some also aimed at his wife and family. Khan\u2019s office declined to provide specifics because the incidents are under investigation.<\/p>\n<h2>A growing list of enemies<\/h2>\n<p>Under Khan, the ICC has become more assertive in combating crimes against humanity, war crimes and related atrocities. Along the way, it has added to a growing list of enemies.<\/p>\n<p>Last September, following the opening of a probe into Russian atrocities in Ukraine, the court suffered a <span class=\"LinkEnhancement\"><a class=\"Link AnClick-LinkEnhancement\" data-gtm-enhancement-style=\"LinkEnhancementA\" href=\"https:\/\/apnews.com\/article\/international-court-cybersecurity-fa1df5afa3f7844e9a76988bb6906f6e\">debilitating cyberattack<\/a><\/span> that left staff unable to work for weeks. It also hired an intern who was later criminally <span class=\"LinkEnhancement\"><a class=\"Link AnClick-LinkEnhancement\" data-gtm-enhancement-style=\"LinkEnhancementA\" href=\"https:\/\/apnews.com\/article\/russia-ukraine-netherlands-the-hague-crime-85faf9651bfc44e4a5e2e617331a1b7a\">charged in the U.S. with being a Russian spy<\/a><\/span>.<\/p>\n<p>Israel has also been waging its own influence campaign ever since the ICC recognized Palestine as a member and in 2015 opened a preliminary investigation into what the court referred to as \u201cthe situation in the State of Palestine.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>London\u2019s The Guardian newspaper and several Israeli news outlets <span class=\"LinkEnhancement\"><a class=\"Link AnClick-LinkEnhancement\" data-gtm-enhancement-style=\"LinkEnhancementA\" href=\"https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/world\/article\/2024\/may\/28\/spying-hacking-intimidation-israel-war-icc-exposed\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">reported this summer<\/a><\/span> that Israel\u2019s intelligence agencies for the past decade have allegedly targeted senior ICC staff, including putting Khan\u2019s predecessor under surveillance and showing up at her house with envelopes stuffed with cash to discredit her.<\/p>\n<p>Netanyahu himself, in the days leading up to Khan\u2019s announcement of war crimes charges, called on the world\u2019s democracies \u201c <span class=\"LinkEnhancement\"><a class=\"Link AnClick-LinkEnhancement\" data-gtm-enhancement-style=\"LinkEnhancementA\" href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=8O2i0G9qQUM\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">to use all the means at their disposal<\/a><\/span> \u201d to block the court from what he called an \u201coutrage of historic proportions.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The Israeli foreign ministry referred AP\u2019s inquiries about the case to the Prime Minister\u2019s office, which did not respond. The U.S. State Department declined to discuss the matter but said in a statement that it \u201ctakes any allegation of sexual harassment seriously, and we would expect the court to do the same.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The Dutch foreign ministry and several lawmakers in the Netherlands have called for an investigation into whether the Israeli embassy has been conducting covert activities against the ICC.<\/p>\n<h2>Who is Khan?<\/h2>\n<p>Khan, a British international lawyer, had a long history defending some of the world\u2019s most ruthless strongmen \u2013 including former Liberian President Charles Taylor and the son of the late Libyan dictator Moammar Gadhafi &#8212; before being <span class=\"LinkEnhancement\"><a class=\"Link AnClick-LinkEnhancement\" data-gtm-enhancement-style=\"LinkEnhancementA\" href=\"https:\/\/apnews.com\/article\/europe-israel-united-nations-fatou-bensouda-international-law-4fc027a2e6157f70587f5e414eae9ecd\">elected in 2021 in a secret ballot<\/a><\/span> to become chief prosecutor.<\/p>\n<p>The Rome Statute that established the court took effect in 2002, with a mandate to prosecute war crimes, crimes against humanity and genocide \u2014 but only when domestic courts fail to initiate their own investigations. Neither the U.S., Israel nor Russia are among the 124 member nations recognizing the court\u2019s authority, although their citizens can be charged with crimes committed in countries that are ICC members.<\/p>\n<p>Still, Washington welcomed Khan\u2019s election, especially after he moved to \u201cdeprioritize\u201d an investigation opened by his predecessor into abuses by U.S. military personnel in Afghanistan.<\/p>\n<p>Khan also broadened the court\u2019s focus, bringing criminal charges for the first time against individuals outside Africa. He charged Russian President Vladimir Putin for kidnapping children in Ukraine and <span class=\"LinkEnhancement\"><a class=\"Link AnClick-LinkEnhancement\" data-gtm-enhancement-style=\"LinkEnhancementA\" href=\"https:\/\/www.hrw.org\/news\/2021\/11\/04\/venezuela-icc-investigation-opens\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">opened an investigation into Venezuelan President Nicol\u00e1s Maduro<\/a><\/span> for his crackdown on protesters.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cHe is by far the most professional jurist the court has had in its short history,\u201d said Kenneth Roth, former executive director of Human Rights Watch. \u201cHe\u2019s articulate, sophisticated with the media and has extensive courtroom experience working with the highest standards of evidence.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>But Khan\u2019s reputation with the U.S. came crashing down when he announced he was seeking the arrest of Netanyahu and Israel\u2019s defense minister for war crimes including starvation of civilians.<\/p>\n<p>To insulate himself from attacks that he held an anti-Israel bias, Khan, a practicing Muslim whose father migrated to the UK from Pakistan, shared the evidence with a panel of experts including British human rights lawyer Amal Clooney, wife of actor George Clooney.<\/p>\n<h2>\u2018Extreme fear\u2019 to report misconduct<\/h2>\n<p>Although the 900-employee ICC has long had a \u201czero-tolerance\u201d policy on sexual harassment, an outside review of the court\u2019s inner-workings in 2020 found an unacceptable level of predatory behavior by male bosses, a lack of women in senior positions, and inadequate mechanisms for dealing with complaints and protecting whistleblowers.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThere is a general reluctance, if not extreme fear, among many staff to report any alleged act of misconduct or misbehavior\u201d by a senior official, the <span class=\"LinkEnhancement\"><a class=\"Link AnClick-LinkEnhancement\" data-gtm-enhancement-style=\"LinkEnhancementA\" href=\"https:\/\/asp.icc-cpi.int\/sites\/asp\/files\/asp_docs\/ASP19\/IER-Final-Report-ENG.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">review<\/a><\/span> concluded. \u201cThe perception is that they are all immune.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Although the ICC\u2019s policies have been updated since the report, there\u2019s no explicit ban on romantic relationships like there is in many American workplaces. And while elected officials such as Khan are expected to show \u201chigh moral character,\u201d there\u2019s no definition of \u201cserious misconduct\u201d that would warrant removal.<\/p>\n<p>International organizations, like the ICC, are some of the last places where men in positions of power treat the organization like their \u201cplaygrounds,\u201d said Sarah Martin, a gender equality expert who has consulted for several United Nations agencies. <\/p>\n<p>\u201cThere are so many complaints that don\u2019t even get investigated because there\u2019s a perception that senior officials protect each other,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n<p>People close to Khan\u2019s accuser say investigators from the court\u2019s watchdog \u2014 known as the Independent Oversight Mechanism \u2014 showed up for an interview on a Sunday and asked for intimate details about her relationship with Khan as her child listened. Without any emotional support and wary of the process, she decided not to file a complaint at that moment. <\/p>\n<p>In the weeks since, she\u2019s decided to go up the chain of command, reaching out to the Assembly of States Parties to the Rome Statute, which oversees the court and has the ultimate say about Khan\u2019s future.<\/p>\n<p>Paivi Kaukoranta, a Finnish diplomat currently serving as president of that body, did not comment specifically when asked if it had initiated a new investigation. <\/p>\n<p>But in a <span class=\"LinkEnhancement\"><a class=\"Link AnClick-LinkEnhancement\" data-gtm-enhancement-style=\"LinkEnhancementA\" href=\"https:\/\/www.icc-cpi.int\/news\/president-asp-statement-alleged-misconduct-icc-elected-official\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">statement<\/a><\/span> she asked people to respect the integrity and confidentiality of the process, \u201cincluding any further possible steps as necessary.\u201d<\/p>\n<h2>___<\/h2>\n<p>Goodman reported from Miami. Quell and Mike Corder in The Hague, Edith Lederer and Jim Mustian in New York, Matthew Lee in Washington and Jack Jeffery in Ramallah, West Bank, contributed. Contact AP\u2019s global investigative team at <span class=\"LinkEnhancement\"><a class=\"Link AnClick-LinkEnhancement\" data-gtm-enhancement-style=\"LinkEnhancementA\" href=\"http:\/\/apnews.com\/cdn-cgi\/l\/email-protection#da93b4acbfa9aeb3bdbbaeb3acbf9abbaaf4b5a8bd\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span class=\"__cf_email__\" data-cfemail=\"fab3948c9f898e939d9b8e938c9fba9b8ad495889d\">[email\u00a0protected]<\/span><\/a><\/span><\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p><script>\n  window.fbAsyncInit = function() {\n      FB.init({\n              appId : '870613919693099',\n          xfbml : true,\n          version : 'v2.9'\n      });\n  };\n  (function(d, s, id){\n     var js, fjs = d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0];\n     if (d.getElementById(id)) {return;}\n     js = d.createElement(s); js.id = id;\n     js.src = \"https:\/\/connect.facebook.net\/en_US\/sdk.js\";\n     fjs.parentNode.insertBefore(js, fjs);\n   }(document, 'script', 'facebook-jssdk'));\n<\/script><br \/>\n<br \/><script async src=\"https:\/\/pagead2.googlesyndication.com\/pagead\/js\/adsbygoogle.js?client=ca-pub-3711241968723425\"\r\n     crossorigin=\"anonymous\"><\/script>\r\n<ins class=\"adsbygoogle\"\r\n     style=\"display:block\"\r\n     data-ad-format=\"fluid\"\r\n     data-ad-layout-key=\"-fb+5w+4e-db+86\"\r\n     data-ad-client=\"ca-pub-3711241968723425\"\r\n     data-ad-slot=\"7910942971\"><\/ins>\r\n<script>\r\n     (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({});\r\n<\/script><br \/>\n<br \/><div data-type=\"_mgwidget\" data-widget-id=\"1660802\">\r\n<\/div>\r\n<script>(function(w,q){w[q]=w[q]||[];w[q].push([\"_mgc.load\"])})(window,\"_mgq\");\r\n<\/script>\r\n<br \/>\n<br \/><a href=\"https:\/\/apnews.com\/article\/war-crimes-international-criminal-court-sexual-misconduct-metoo-7519d876decb945aafc2215756df19b2\">Source link <\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>THE HAGUE, Netherlands (AP) \u2014 As the International Criminal Court\u2019s top prosecutor sought war crimes charges this year against Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu over actions in Gaza, he was &hellip; <a href=\"https:\/\/hotvideos24.online\/?p=118363\" class=\"more-link\">Read More<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[29],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-118363","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-world","entry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/hotvideos24.online\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/118363","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/hotvideos24.online\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/hotvideos24.online\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hotvideos24.online\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hotvideos24.online\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=118363"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/hotvideos24.online\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/118363\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/hotvideos24.online\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=118363"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hotvideos24.online\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=118363"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hotvideos24.online\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=118363"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}