According to the report, a witness statement submitted to U.S. authorities alleges that Qatari actors may have offered support to Prosecutor Khan in connection with decisions related to arrest warrants concerning Israeli leadership. While these claims remain unverified, ISGAP emphasized that their seriousness—combined with a broader pattern of documented diplomatic activity—requires urgent and independent scrutiny.
The allegations build on findings from ISGAP’s 2024 report, South Africa, Iran, and Qatar: The Hijacking of the ANC and the International Court of Justice, which identified sustained Qatari engagement with international legal institutions during a period of coordinated legal action against Israel. The report documents a November 2, 2023 meeting between Qatar’s ambassador to the Netherlands and ICC Prosecutor Karim Khan, followed by additional high-level engagements with ICC leadership on related issues.
ISGAP’s research further found that these diplomatic contacts occurred alongside South Africa’s accelerated legal initiatives against Israel at international courts, including announcements made during President Ramaphosa’s state visit to Qatar regarding pursuing legal action.
Dr. Charles Asher Small, Executive Director of ISGAP, said: “The integrity of international legal institutions depends on their independence from political and financial influence. The emerging allegations regarding Qatari engagement with the ICC Prosecutor’s Office, when viewed alongside documented diplomatic coordination and prior patterns of influence, raise serious questions that cannot be ignored. A transparent and credible investigation is essential to safeguard the legitimacy of international justice mechanisms.”
ISGAP is calling on relevant authorities, including U.S. and European institutions, as well as ICC oversight bodies, to:
- Initiate an independent investigation into potential foreign state influence on the ICC Prosecutor’s Office.
- Review all communications and engagements between Qatari officials and ICC personnel during the relevant period.
- Assess whether any external pressure or inducements may have affected prosecutorial decision-making.
ISGAP stressed that the convergence of new allegations and previously documented diplomatic activity creates a clear basis for formal inquiry. Establishing whether prosecutorial decisions were subject to external influence is essential to preserving confidence in the ICC and ensuring that international legal processes remain grounded in law rather than political alignment.