ICC Deputy Prosecutor Khan Reports Staff Banking Issues as US Sanctions Take Hold

Nazhat Shameem Khan, the deputy prosecutor at the International Criminal Court, confirmed on Friday that staff are already experiencing financial friction ahead of the official start date for new US sanctions. The measures were announced by US Secretary of State Marco Rubio on October 9, 2026. Rubio designated the court a rogue institution and granted it a six-month grace period to negotiate a solution. Although the sanctions are not yet in full force, Khan said banks are over-complying with the rules to minimize risk. This preemptive action is causing difficulties for individual staff members who rely on standard banking services.

Khan is currently co-running the prosecutor's office while a search for a new chief prosecutor continues. She reported that the investigation into the Gaza war has made progress since November 2024, when arrest warrants were issued for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Defense Minister Yoav Galant. No new charges regarding Gaza have been announced since late 2024. Khan explained that the court ruled earlier this year to keep all warrant applications secret until judges determine they can be made public. She noted that this secrecy creates an appearance of inactivity, even as legal work continues behind closed doors.

The court is implementing changes to protect its operations from US influence. It is switching its software from Microsoft to European alternatives and negotiating with providers for banking and health insurance. Khan stated that the institution has not reduced its capability or output based on the sanctions. She acknowledged, however, that the full impact of the measures will only become clear once they officially take effect in April 2027. The court is also working to shield its staff, who should not be directly impacted by institutional sanctions in principle, from collateral damage.

Khan has personal experience with these financial hurdles. She was one of 13 ICC staff members targeted by the US in February 2025. She described life without a credit card as inconvenient, particularly for travel. She compared her situation to the victims in refugee camps who seek justice regardless of political or economic barriers. The prosecutor's office is also dealing with internal changes. Formal investigations into sexual harassment allegations against former chief prosecutor Karim Khan began in late November 2024. The British jurist was removed by member states in July 2026 after denying the charges.

Secretary of State Rubio claimed this month that globalist experts wanted the ICC to prosecute US citizens. Khan said the court has not brought any Americans before it. She suggested the reference might be to the Afghanistan case, where the priority is gender persecution by the Taliban and the Islamic State Khorasan. This month, the court's pretrial chamber unsealed four arrest warrants against Taliban members on those charges. The ICC registrar is currently negotiating with the European Union to block the sanctions or protect the court. The European Parliament awarded the court its Sakharov Prize for freedom of thought on Thursday.

Khan described the prize as a vital message for the staff. She said the attention on the court reflects its relevance as a venue for victims who lack other avenues for justice. The court aims to allow these victims to cut past politics and have their voices heard. The six-month timeline for the US sanctions remains a critical deadline for the institution's leadership. Khan emphasized that the court will continue its work across all active situations until the full scope of the US measures is known.