THE HAGUE: International Criminal Court (ICC) appeals judges have disqualified chief prosecutor Karim Khan from the war crimes case against former Philippines President Rodrigo Duterte due to a possible conflict of interest, according to a copy of the decision.

The ruling is yet another major blow to Khan, who stepped aside in May amid an ongoing UN inquiry into his alleged sexual misconduct. He has now also been barred from taking part in the Duterte prosecution, the only major active case pending at the court, which is already reeling under US-imposed sanctions.

In August, Duterte’s defence sought to disqualify Khan, arguing that his involvement in communications to the court from victims of Duterte’s war on drugs was a conflict of interest.

The defence said Khan should have no further role in the case because he represented the Philippines Human Rights Commission (PHRC) in naming Duterte as a top suspect and could therefore not conduct an impartial investigation, a copy of the ruling said.

Khan had asked the panel of judges to reject the defence request, saying there was “no conflict of interest arising from his representation of the chair of the PHRC and a group of victims in relation to” communications with the ICC.

Published in Dawn, October 15th, 2025