Mr. Khan, 50, is currently leading a UN group investigating war crimes attributed to the Islamic State. He is well known on the international legal scene in The Hague, where he is known for his trial skills, and has served over the years for both defense and prosecution.
The adjudication committee, which examined candidates for the prosecutor’s post, said Mr. Khan describes himself as a charismatic and outspoken competitor who is well aware of his achievements. ‘
He became known in The Hague for his prominent clients, including Saif el-Qaddafi, son of the Libyan dictator. When Mr. Khan was instructed to act as a lawyer for Charles Taylor, the former president of Liberia, of terror, murder, rape and other war crimes, Mr. Taylor fired him and Mr. Khan sent out of court.
“You are not just standing up here and rolling,” the annoying chairman said when Mr. Khan goes to the door. “You really like contempt.”
Given mr. Khan’s previous roles as a lawyer ‘in a number of ongoing cases before the ICC’, the chances are high that he will have to withdraw from several cases, the committee noted.
Perhaps his most contentious case was the defense of Vice President William Ruto of Kenya, who was charged in 2007 with crimes against humanity during post-election violence. ICC judges have declared a misunderstanding due to “a disturbing occurrence of witness interference and intolerable political interference” by Kenyan officials. Mr. Khan was not charged with any offense, but the court charged three Kenyans with “witness tampering” in the case.
Khan’s predecessors, me. Bensouda and Luis Moreno Ocampo, were both appointed by consensus. But this time, a number of countries and civil society groups, wanting a more transparent and competitive selection process, have set up a special committee to interview candidates.