The International Criminal Court (ICC) ordered its chief prosecutor, Karim Khan, to recuse himself from the case investigating crimes against humanity in Venezuela because a family of member of his is investigating the South American country.
The Washington Post noted that appeals judges at the ICC concluded there was "reason to believe that a ground for disqualification" due to the family relationship. Khan is already on leave from the entity due to an unrelated investigation involving sexual misconduct.
Khan had led the Venezuela investigation since 2021 following allegations that the country's authoritarian president, Nicolas Maduro, arbitrarily detained, tortured, and executed political opponents. The case is the ICC's only open investigation in Latin America and was initiated following a 2018 request from several countries in the Western Hemisphere: Argentina, Canada, Colombia, Chile, Paraguay, and Peru.
The conflict concerns were first raised publicly in September 2023 by the Arcadia Foundation, a Washington-based nonprofit, after the Post reported that Venkateswari Alagendra, Khan's sister-in-law, was involved in the defense team.
Khan denied any wrongdoing, stating in court filings that he had not shared confidential information or participated in meetings involving Alagendra. However, the court found that their familial and prior professional ties were sufficient to disqualify him, noting that a "fair-minded and reasonable observer" would perceive an inability to be impartial. Khan must formally request his removal from the Venezuela case within three weeks.
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