New York: International Criminal Court (ICC) Chief Prosecutor Karim Khan has been removed from his position amid sexual misconduct allegations. Member states of the ICC voted on Friday to dismiss him in a secret ballot held at the United Nations headquarters in New York. Khan’s legal team has rejected the decision and said it will challenge the move through all available legal avenues.
Tayab Ali, head of Khan’s legal team, accused the Assembly of States Parties of ignoring serious due process concerns. He said Khan was removed despite the absence of a lawful finding of misconduct against him.
According to the report, 82 of the ICC’s 125 member states voted in favour of Khan’s removal. Thirteen countries voted against the decision, while 15 abstained.
Khan and some of his supporters have argued that the case against him is politically motivated. The controversy comes against the backdrop of several major investigations led by Khan during his tenure as chief prosecutor.
In 2024, Khan sought arrest warrants against Israeli leaders, including Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and then Army Minister Yoav Gallant. The move triggered strong opposition from pro-Israel governments, particularly the US administration, which threatened to dismantle the ICC.
The ICC later issued arrest warrants for Netanyahu and Gallant. The decision was strongly condemned by Israel and the United States, which subsequently imposed sanctions on Khan and other ICC officials.
Khan’s removal now adds another major chapter to the controversy surrounding the ICC and its chief prosecutor. While his legal team maintains that the decision was taken without a lawful finding of misconduct and amid serious due process concerns, Khan and his supporters continue to claim that the proceedings against him were politically motivated.