UNITED NATIONS, May 31 (Xinhua) -- United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Thursday appointed a British barrister to lead a probe team into ISIS crimes in Iraq.

Karim Asad Ahmad Khan of Britain will serve as special adviser and head of the investigation team established by the UN Security Council at the request of Iraq last September.

Khan is a barrister and Queen's Counsel with more than 25 years of professional experience as an international criminal law and human rights lawyer, according to a statement issued by Guterres' office.

"He has extensive experience as a prosecutor, victim's counsel and defense lawyer in domestic and international criminal tribunals, including, but not limited to, the International Criminal Court, International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda, International Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia, Extraordinary Chambers in the Courts of Cambodia, Special Tribunal for Lebanon and the Special Court for Sierra Leone," says the statement.

"Mr. Khan has studied and lectured on Islamic law and has published extensively in the area of international criminal justice and human rights," says the statement.

Last August, Iraq made a formal request to the Security Council to help collect evidence to prosecute ISIS militants for possible war crimes.