The Chief Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court (ICC) Karim Khan has recused himself from the investigation into alleged crimes against humanity in Venezuela due to a conflict of interest in the case.
This is reported by The Washington Post.
Since 2021, Khan has led an investigation into Venezuela, where President Nicolas Maduro is accused of arbitrary detention, torture, and execution of political opponents.
Back in September, American media reported that Khanʼs daughter-in-law, international criminal lawyer Venkateswari Alagendra, was working on Maduroʼs defense team.
The Arcadia Foundation, a Washington-based non-profit organization that promotes human rights and democracy, then formally filed a petition with ICC demanding that Khan recuse himself from the investigation. The ICC Appeals Chamber initially rejected the complaint, but reopened it in February.
In court documents, Khan denied any conflict of interest, saying he did not discuss any confidential information with his daughter-in-law and did not recall any conversation, even about public facts in the case. He also claimed he did not participate in any meetings while she was in Venezuela.
However, in the end, on Friday, August 1, the court ordered Khan to file a request for recusal in the case within three weeks.
- It was Karim Khan who requested an arrest warrant for Russian leader Vladimir Putin on suspicion of illegally moving and deporting children from the occupied territories of Ukraine to Russia.
- Khan is involved in another scandal: he is suspected of harassing a colleague. Because of this, he went on forced leave in May.
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