The Assembly of States Parties to the International Criminal Court voted on Friday to refer Karim Khan, accused of serious sexual offenses. 82 of the 125 member states voted in favor of his removal.
It was an unambiguous vote. Meeting on Friday, the Assembly of States Parties (ASP) to the International Criminal Court decided to terminate the functions of Karim Khan, its chief prosecutor, after months of proceedings related to allegations of inappropriate sexual behavior toward a staff member. Of the 125 members, 82 voted for his removal, 13 against, and 15 abstained.
The chair of the ASP, Päivi Kaukoranta, indicated that the oversight body had concluded that Khan was guilty of "gross misconduct and serious breach of duty." The 56-year-old British lawyer had been suspended from his duties last June, following a preliminary report by the same body. He has consistently denied the allegations against him.
His lawyer, Tayab Ali, announced that Khan will contest the decision. "Mr. Khan will challenge the legality and fairness of this decision through all available legal channels," he wrote on X. A legal battle is therefore looming, even though the dismissal takes effect immediately.
Khan's downfall comes at a particularly tense time for the ICC. The prosecutor made headlines in 2024 by obtaining arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant in connection with the Gaza war, as well as for Hamas leaders. Israel's ambassador to the UN, Danny Danon, reacted to the dismissal by stating that Khan "thought his political witch hunt against Israel and his outrageous arrest warrants would divert attention from the allegations of serious sexual misconduct." Kenneth Roth, former director of Human Rights Watch and now a visiting professor at Princeton University, said that member states had "done the right thing."
All current arrest warrants remain valid: only ICC judges have the authority to cancel them, and the removal of the prosecutor does not change anything.
The decision comes at a time when the administration of the American president Donald Trump Washington is leading what it describes as a "broad campaign to dismantle the threat the ICC poses to U.S. sovereignty," in the words of Secretary of State Marco Rubio. Washington is considering visa revocations, travel bans, and enhanced sanctions against personnel and organizations linked to the Court, which is headquartered in The Hague. Neither the United States nor Israel is a member of the ICC.
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