Khan, 50, is currently leading a UN group investigating war crimes attributed to the Islamic State. He is a well-known figure on the international legal scene in The Hague, where he is known for his litigation skills, and has served both defense and prosecution over the years.
The evaluation committee, which assessed candidates for the prosecutor’s job, described Mr. Khan as “a charismatic and articulate communicator who is well aware of his achievements.”
He became known in The Hague for his high-profile clients, including Saif el-Qaddafi, son of the Libyan dictator. When Mr. Khan was appointed to act as court-appointed attorney for Charles Taylor, the former president of Liberia charged with terror, murder, rape and other war crimes, fired Mr. Taylor sent him and Mr. Khan out of court.
“You don’t just get up and waltz out of here,” said the exasperated chairman as Mr. Khan walked to the door. “You are really almost disdainful.”
Given the previous roles of Mr. Khan as counsel “in a number of pending cases for the ICC,” the chances are “significant” that he will have to withdraw from several cases, the committee noted.
Perhaps his most controversial case was his defense of Vice President William Ruto of Kenya, who was charged with crimes against humanity in the post-election violence in 2007. ICC judges declared a mistrial for “a disturbing incidence of witness interference and unbearable political interference “by Kenyan officials. Mr Khan was not charged with any wrongdoing, but the court has charged three Kenyans with “tampering with witnesses” in the case.
Mr Khan’s predecessors, Ms Bensouda and Luis Moreno Ocampo, were both appointed by consensus. But this time, a number of countries and civil society groups, who wanted a more transparent and competitive selection process, set up a special committee to interview candidates.