Karim Ahmad Khan

Karim Asad Ahmad Khan (born March 30, 1970 in Edinburgh , Scotland ) is a British lawyer and since June 2021 Chief Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court in The Hague .

Life

Khan graduated from King's College at the University of London with a Bachelor of Laws . He also studied and taught Islamic law . He is an honorary doctor of the European University of Tirana and the University College FAMA in Pristina .

From 1997 to 2000, Khan was a prosecutor at the UN tribunals dealing with war crimes in Rwanda and ex-Yugoslavia . He was also active in various proceedings before international criminal courts, both as a victim representative or co-plaintiff and as a criminal defense lawyer.

Until 2021, Khan led the war crimes investigations of the terrorist militia Islamic State in Iraq (Investigative Team to Promote Accountability for Da'esh / ISIL crimes - UNITAD ).

Elected Chief Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court

On February 12, 2021, Khan was appointed by the representations of the 123 contracting states of the International Criminal Court to succeed Fatou Bensouda from Gambia . In the first election, in which the contracting states could not agree on a candidate, he received 72 of 122 votes in the runoff, the second-placed Irish lawyer Fergal Gaynor received 42. Before that, the attempt led to a consensus among the contracting states on one of the four candidates Shortlist, Morris A. Anyah (Nigeria), Fergal Gaynor (Ireland), Susan Okalany (Uganda) and Richard Roy (Canada), to no result. Therefore, the committee forwarded the applications of 5 other candidates, who had been shortlisted for the shortlist and who, after consulting, upheld their applications, with the evaluations to the contracting states. In addition to Khan, these other candidates were Carlos Castresana Fernández (Spain), Francesco Lo Voi (Italy), Robert Petit (Canada) and Brigitte Raynaud (France).

Khan's nine-year term began on June 16, 2021.

Before him are decisions about possible trials against members of the US Army and members of the Army of the Republic of Israel. Although Israel itself is not a state party, the court can have jurisdiction in such cases because the Palestinian Authority is a state party. The USA is also not a contracting state, but states on whose territory the investigated acts took place belong to the Rome Statute, and some victims are citizens of contracting states.

Private life

His father was the doctor Saeed Ahmad Khan and comes from British India (now Pakistan ), his mother Selma Mubaraka was English and converted to Islam .

Khan's younger brother Imran Ahmad Khan made a career as politician of the Conservative Party in the UK. Khan has another brother and sister.

He was shaped by the Pakistani politician and first foreign minister of his country, Sir Mohamed Safura Khan , former President of the UN General Assembly . He later referred to him as his most important mentor , who also adopted him as his grandson .

Individual evidence

^ British human rights lawyer elected chief prosecutor of the International Criminal Court. February 12, 2021, accessed on February 14, 2021 (English).
↑ ^a ^b Paul-Anton Krüger: Opinion: He is considered tough, but charismatic . In: Der Bund (newspaper, Bern) . February 16, 2021. Accessed on February 21, 2021., almost identical in text also in the Süddeutsche Zeitung: Profile: Karim Asad Ahmad Khan (comment)
↑ Official Site of unitad: Special Adviser and Head of the Investigative Team
↑ CV on the website of the International Criminal Court. Retrieved February 14, 2021 .
↑ 2021 - Election of the Prosecutor - Results. Assembly of States Parties to the International Criminal Court, accessed February 20, 2021 .
^ Zeit Online: Karim Khan becomes the new chief prosecutor. Retrieved February 14, 2021 .
↑ report to the ICC on reviews of additional candidates. (PDF) Accessed February 14, 2021 .
↑ International Criminal Court - Khan becomes chief prosecutor. Der Spiegel, February 12, 2021, accessed on February 22, 2021 .

predecessor	Office	successor
Fatou Bom Bensouda	Chief Prosecutor at the International Criminal Court in The Hague June 16, 2021–15. June 2030

personal data
SURNAME	Khan, Karim Ahmad
ALTERNATIVE NAMES	Khan, Karim
BRIEF DESCRIPTION	British lawyer
DATE OF BIRTH	March 30, 1970
PLACE OF BIRTH	Edinburgh , Scotland

[1] British human rights lawyer elected chief prosecutor of the International Criminal Court. February 12, 2021, accessed on February 14, 2021 (English).

[Paul-Anton_Krüger-2] Paul-Anton Krüger: Opinion: He is considered tough, but charismatic . In: Der Bund (newspaper, Bern) . February 16, 2021. Accessed on February 21, 2021., almost identical in text also in the Süddeutsche Zeitung: Profile: Karim Asad Ahmad Khan (comment)

[3] Official Site of unitad: Special Adviser and Head of the Investigative Team

[4] CV on the website of the International Criminal Court. Retrieved February 14, 2021 .

[5] 2021 - Election of the Prosecutor - Results. Assembly of States Parties to the International Criminal Court, accessed February 20, 2021 .

[6] Zeit Online: Karim Khan becomes the new chief prosecutor. Retrieved February 14, 2021 .

[7] report to the ICC on reviews of additional candidates. (PDF) Accessed February 14, 2021 .

[Der_Spiegel-8] International Criminal Court - Khan becomes chief prosecutor. Der Spiegel, February 12, 2021, accessed on February 22, 2021 .