JULY 25, 2026
ICC member states vote to remove Chief Prosecutor Karim Khan over sexual misconduct findings
The International Criminal Court's Assembly of States Parties voted by a large majority of its 125 member states on Friday to remove Chief Prosecutor Karim Khan, marking the first time a chief prosecutor has been ousted from the role. Khan, a British barrister, was accused of sexual misconduct with a female aide — allegations he has steadfastly denied — and the court's oversight body concluded he had committed "serious misconduct and serious breach of duty." Khan's two deputy prosecutors have led the Office of the Prosecutor since he stepped down in May 2025 and will continue to do so until a new chief is selected.
The vote at a special session at U.N. headquarters in New York concluded several hours ahead of schedule. A morning motion, brought by Sierra Leone, that would have made it harder to remove Khan failed, after which diplomats moved directly to the removal vote. Iva Vukusic, a researcher at Utrecht University who has been following the process, told the AP she was surprised by how decisive the outcome was. "The numbers indicate that there is more agreement than previously thought," she said.
The Assembly of States Parties president, Päivi Kaukoranta, announced that the body had concluded Khan had committed "serious misconduct and serious breach of duty." According to documents seen by the AP, Khan had engaged in a sexual relationship with the aide and attempted to prevent her from pursuing her allegations. Khan disputes those findings, and his attorney, Tayab Ali, said in a statement that Khan intends to "challenge the lawfulness and fairness of the decision through all available legal mechanisms." Khan's lawyers also argued that he was blocked from addressing Friday's session and that regulations had been rewritten to disadvantage him. There is no formal appeals process for the removal, though ICC staff may bring complaints to a special labor tribunal in Geneva.
Khan's removal arrives as the court faces significant external pressure. U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced last week that Washington was launching a "sweeping campaign to dismantle the threat posed by the International Criminal Court to U.S. sovereignty," and the Trump administration had already imposed sanctions against Khan and approximately a dozen other ICC staff members in retaliation for the court's warrants against Israeli officials, including Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, and its investigations into U.S. military personnel in Afghanistan. Hours after Friday's vote, Venezuela announced it would withdraw from the court, with Foreign Affairs Minister Félix Plasencia citing what he described as a "demonstrated geographical bias" against Global South nations.