ICC member states vote to dismiss prosecutor Karim Khan over misconduct allegations
The International Criminal Court’s Assembly of State Parties has voted to remove Karim Khan, citing sexual misconduct allegations that emerged nearly two years ago. The decision marks the first time a chief prosecutor has been dismissed from the tribunal’s history.
Member states of the International Criminal Court (ICC) have voted to dismiss Chief Prosecutor Karim Khan, concluding a protracted disciplinary process that began nearly two years ago. Diplomatic sources report that a majority of the court’s 125 member states voted in favour of the removal, marking the first time in the tribunal’s history that a chief prosecutor has been removed from office.
The vote proceeded several hours ahead of schedule after a motion brought by Sierra Leone to make the removal process more difficult failed early in the session. The court’s host state, the Netherlands, voted for removal, as did France and Norway. Päivi Kaukoranta, president of the Assembly of State Parties, described the vote as a private matter necessary to address a complex and sensitive disciplinary issue.
Khan was absent from the closed-door proceedings as he is barred from entering the United States due to sanctions imposed by the Trump administration. These sanctions were enacted in retaliation for the ICC’s 2024 issuance of arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Defence Minister Yoav Gallant. The Trump administration has recently declared it would seek to destroy the ICC, adding to the heightened political pressure on the institution.
The dismissal occurs amid broader tensions involving the tribunal’s investigations, including those into United States personnel in Afghanistan. Khan oversaw the issuing of warrants for top Israeli officials over the war in Gaza, a move that triggered significant diplomatic friction. The sexual misconduct allegations against Khan first emerged nearly two years prior to the vote, though specific details have not been publicly disclosed in the source material.
Khan has denied any wrongdoing, and his legal team has described the process as unlawful, procedurally unfair, and unsupported by evidence. The exact vote count or margin of victory was not provided, with diplomatic sources only confirming that a majority of member states supported the removal. The decision underscores the growing institutional challenges facing the ICC as it navigates increasing geopolitical scrutiny.
