The International Criminal Court (ICC) has removed Prosecutor Karim Khan following a finding of sexual misconduct. Khan, who was instrumental in pursuing arrest warrants against prominent figures such as Russian President Vladimir Putin and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, was dismissed after a decisive vote by the Assembly of States Parties. This assembly, which provides oversight for the ICC, convened at the United Nations headquarters in New York on July 24 to carry out the vote.
The decision to remove Khan was made through a secret ballot process, with 82 out of the 125 member states supporting the action under Article 46 of the Rome Statute. The ICC officially stated, “The Assembly adopted a decision finding that Mr. Karim Khan committed serious misconduct and serious breach of duty.” Khan, a barrister from the UK, has refuted any claims of inappropriate conduct, with his legal representative Tayab Ali asserting that Khan intends to contest the decision through all available legal channels.
The accusations against Khan involve allegations of coercive and non-consensual sexual conduct with a junior lawyer at the ICC. Khan has denied engaging in any sexual relationship with the individual in question. These allegations led to Khan being placed on leave in May 2025 while an investigation was conducted. Subsequently, in June 2026, the Bureau of the Assembly of States Parties suspended him and referred the matter of his removal to the full Assembly.
Khan assumed the role of the ICC’s third prosecutor in June 2021, with a mandate set for nine years. He gained worldwide attention for his efforts to secure arrest warrants against Putin, related to alleged crimes in Ukraine, and against Netanyahu and former Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant concerning alleged war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza. These warrants were subsequently issued by ICC judges. Khan also pursued warrants against other figures such as senior Hamas leaders and Myanmar’s military chief, Min Aung Hlaing.
In light of Khan’s removal, the process to elect a new ICC prosecutor has commenced, though a successor is not expected to be chosen until 2027.
