Borrell says US and Israel using misconduct claims to weaken ICC

Former EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell has accused the United States and Israel of using sexual misconduct allegations against the International Criminal Court's chief prosecutor to weaken the court from within. In an article published on Friday, Borrell said the case against Karim Khan is being exploited to achieve what he called a long-sought goal of neutralising the ICC. Khan faces a vote on his removal by the ICC's member states on 24 July. This follows a decision by the court's executive bureau that he committed serious misconduct, even though a judicial panel found insufficient evidence. Borrell noted that the bureau changed the voting procedure, merging two votes into one, which he said makes it easier to remove Khan. Borrell linked the case to Khan's decision to seek arrest warrants for Israeli leaders, including Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. He said US senators had warned Khan against that move. He also pointed to recent comments by US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who said the US aims to dismantle the ICC. Washington has already sanctioned senior ICC officials. Borrell argued that the US and Israel see the misconduct claims as a chance to undermine the court without destroying it from outside. He said Khan showed courage in pursuing warrants against suspects once considered untouchable. The ICC has 125 member states, and the vote will determine Khan's future.