The member states of the International Criminal Court recently appointed British lawyer Karim Khan as the ICC’s next chief prosecutor. He is expected to start his nine-year term in June, replacing Gambian attorney Fatou Bensouda in the role. Khan is a veteran of the international legal world, having served as both prosecutor and defense counsel in a number of prominent cases. He also recently led a special U.N. investigation into crimes committed by the Islamic State group.
But his upcoming stint as the ICC’s chief prosecutor will arguably be his most challenging assignment yet, given the many criticisms the court has faced in the past. Khan will also need to oversee high-stakes investigations into allegations of war crimes committed by U.S. forces and other combatants in Afghanistan, as well as in the Israeli-occupied Palestinian territories.
On the Trend Lines podcast this week, Kyle Rapp, a doctoral student specializing in international law at the University of Southern California, joined WPR’s Elliot Waldman to discuss Khan’s vision for the ICC and the tough balancing act he will face in the job.