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Qatar has firmly denied accusations that it engaged in efforts to discredit a woman who accused the International Criminal Court (ICC) Prosecutor Karim Khan of misconduct, insisting the claims are intended to weaken its diplomatic role in Gaza.
In a statement released on Friday, November 7, Qatar’s International Media Office condemned what it described as “unfounded allegations” involving the ICC prosecutor, asserting that they form part of a broader attempt by “certain bad actors” to spread misinformation and shift attention away from their wrongdoings.
The office did not name those allegedly behind the campaign.
According to the statement, the disputed material had been circulated to several media organisations, the majority of which chose not to release it after determining that it lacked credible evidence.
Qatar said the claims reflected a wider influence operation targeting Doha due to its involvement in securing hostage releases, supporting international institutions, and defending international law.
The media office also pointed to recent US legal cases in which lawsuits against Qatar Charity were dismissed after courts ruled that evidence submitted had been fabricated.
The Guardian earlier reported that an ICC employee who accused Khan of sexual assault had been targeted in what the newspaper described as a covert intelligence operation allegedly linked to Qatar.
Khan has dismissed the allegations against him, saying they are part of an effort to pressure him following his decision to issue arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Defence Minister Yoav Gallant over alleged war crimes in Gaza.
Israel’s ongoing military campaign in Gaza has killed nearly 69,000 people and injured more than 170,000 others since October 2023, according to the report.
Qatar has continued to play a key role in ceasefire negotiations, working alongside Egypt, Türkiye and the United States. Those mediation efforts helped to secure a temporary ceasefire and prisoner exchange deal between Israel and Hamas that began on October 10.
