The International Criminal Court's chief prosecutor, Karim Khan, has been suspended pending a vote by member states on whether he should be removed from office, following an investigation into allegations of sexual misconduct.
The decision marks a major moment for the ICC, which has already been facing pressure over high-profile investigations and U.S. sanctions linked to its work.
The court's governing body announced on Monday (8 June) that it had completed disciplinary proceedings against Khan and referred the matter to the ICC's Assembly of States Parties, which represents the court's 125 member countries.
While the bureau did not disclose its findings, a diplomatic source familiar with the decision told Reuters that it concluded Khan had committed serious misconduct following an 18-month investigation into allegations that he engaged in non-consensual sexual interactions with a lawyer in his office.
According to the source, the bureau has recommended that Khan be removed from office. Member states will now decide his future at a special session to be convened at a later date.
"The decision of the Bureau and the related documentation will remain confidential," the governing body said in a statement.
Khan has strongly denied the accusations and rejected the bureau's decision.
His lawyers said he disputed the findings "in the strongest terms" and maintained that he had done nothing wrong.
"The decision is unlawful, procedurally unfair and unsupported by evidence," they said in a statement.
Khan has not led the prosecutor's office since May, when he voluntarily stepped aside while the investigation was under way.
The allegations have been the subject of multiple reviews.
Sources previously told Reuters that a report by United Nations investigators found a "factual basis" for claims made by a female aide and that witness testimony "lend support to her claims".
However, a separate review by three judges that examined the U.N. findings reportedly concluded that the evidence was insufficient to establish the allegations "beyond a reasonable doubt".
Khan's lawyers said the judges unanimously found that the "factual findings do not establish misconduct or breach of duty".
The case has added to the challenges facing the ICC, whose credibility has come under scrutiny in recent months.
Khan is the court's most prominent official and the first ICC prosecutor to be formally suspended by its oversight body.
The court has also faced political pressure and U.S. sanctions over investigations that led to arrest warrants for Israeli officials over alleged war crimes.
The bureau's recommendation will now be considered by the Assembly of States Parties, which will hold a vote on whether Khan should remain in office.
The outcome will determine whether Khan returns to his role or becomes the first chief prosecutor in the ICC's history to be removed from office.
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