International Criminal Court top prosecutor Karim Khan, who temporarily stepped aside from his role in May following a sexual misconduct claim, now faces a second accusation from another woman, The Guardian reported on Thursday.
The woman, identified only as “Patricia,” has provided testimony to the U.N. Office of Internal Oversight Services, which is investigating the accusations made against Khan, according to the report.
Patricia told the paper that Khan abused his power as a top ICC lawyer and subjected her to a “constant onslaught” of unwanted advances while she worked on an internship for him in 2009.
“Karim was a well-connected, well-respected person who could make things happen, and someone who would put a good word in for you,” the woman stated. However, Patricia said the prestigious internship at the ICC “came at a price it shouldn’t have come at.
“He shouldn’t have been doing it,” she stated. “He was my employer.
Patricia alleged that Khan touched her breasts in the ICC offices in what she described as a “prolonged” and “completely unconsented” incident.
Later, Khan allegedly requested that Patricia work from his home, where he would sit close beside her on a couch, touch and kiss her, and press her to have sex. She said she repeatedly refused, inventing excuses to avoid angering him, but felt “trapped” due to the power imbalance.
As she was paying her own expenses during the internship, Patricia said she believed that a positive letter of recommendation from Khan was essential. She eventually received one, calling it a “deal with the devil.”
Although she felt “miserable” and depressed, Patricia explained that she stayed until the internship ended. She remained in contact with Khan afterward for professional reasons, but gradually distanced herself.
In 2019, Patricia said she received an unsolicited message from Khan, in which he thanked her for her “good company” and referred to her as a “very good friend.” She replied by asking him to stop contacting her.
A source familiar with the probe told The Guardian that the OIOS had reviewed material shared by Patricia and interviewed people close to her. A spokesperson for the internal U.N. watchdog said it would not comment pending the investigation into the accusations.
Khan has taken leave pending the outcome of the probe into allegations that he assaulted a Malaysian co-worker while urging her not to pursue charges, as they might hinder his war-crimes case against Israeli leaders.
“Think about the Palestinian arrest warrants,” the chief prosecutor was cited as saying, according to his accuser. He has denied all allegations.
In May 2024, Khan announced that he would request arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and then-Israeli defense minister Yoav Gallant for “crimes against humanity” in the Gaza Strip.
The Hague-based tribunal, which independently prosecutes the gravest war crimes and is not part of the United Nations, issued the warrants in November.
The Associated Press reported three months ago that the case against the Jewish state’s leaders has ground to a halt in the wake of U.S. President Donald Trump’s executive order in February to sanction Khan and the court. Khan, who is British, has reportedly been frozen out of his U.K. bank accounts and even lost all access to his work email accounts.
