ICC Member States Vote to Remove Chief Prosecutor Karim Khan After Misconduct Allegations
Member countries of the International Criminal Court (ICC) have voted to remove Chief Prosecutor Karim Khan from office following allegations of sexual misconduct.
The decision came shortly after the person who made the allegations spoke publicly in an interview with CNN’s Christiane Amanpour. Khan has denied all accusations. The move also happened at a time when the ICC is facing increased criticism from the United States government, which has raised concerns about the court’s actions and authority.
Päivi Kaukoranta, President of the Assembly of States Parties, said 82 out of the ICC’s 125 member countries voted in favor of removing Khan. She said the decision was based on findings that he committed serious misconduct and failed in his duties.
Khan’s lawyer, Tayab Ali, said the former prosecutor would challenge the decision. He argued that the removal was not supported by a fair legal process or proper findings. Ali said Khan has denied the allegations from the beginning and continues to reject them.
The lawyer also claimed that Khan was not given enough opportunity to defend himself and said a UN investigation did not establish misconduct. However, Kaukoranta said the process respected Khan’s rights and that the investigation found evidence related to the claims.
The vote was held through a secret ballot during a meeting at United Nations headquarters in New York.
The allegations were made by Sarah, an ICC staff member who requested that only her first name be used. She accused Khan of sexual harassment and unwanted sexual conduct while she was working under him. She told CNN that the behavior began gradually and involved repeated violations of her personal boundaries.
Khan, 56, cooperated with the UN investigation and has denied any wrongdoing. He said he never had a sexual relationship with the staff member and rejected claims of harassment, abuse of power, or inappropriate behavior.
The ICC’s oversight body had suspended Khan in June while awaiting the outcome of the vote. Before the decision, Norway’s Deputy Foreign Minister Andreas Kravik said Khan was not fit to continue leading the office and stressed the importance of having an effective court for victims of serious international crimes.
Khan and his supporters have argued that the allegations were used to damage his reputation because of his work on major war crimes investigations. In 2024, Khan requested arrest warrants for senior Hamas figures as well as Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Defence Minister Yoav Gallant over alleged war crimes.
Israel, which is not a member of the ICC, rejected the warrants and supported Khan’s removal, describing his actions as unfair. Sarah denied claims that she was acting on behalf of any foreign government.
The decision to remove Khan comes as the ICC faces pressure from the United States, which is also not a member of the court. Washington had previously taken action against some ICC officials over investigations and cases involving US forces and Israeli officials.
