The Assembly of States Parties of the International Criminal Court voted on Friday, July 24, 2026, to remove chief prosecutor Karim Khan following allegations of sexual misconduct. 82 of the court’s 125 member states supported the ouster, marking the first time a chief prosecutor has ever been removed from office.
The decision follows a protracted disciplinary process that began in 2024, centering on claims of coercive and non-consensual sexual behavior. While the 56-year-old British barrister has steadfastly denied any wrongdoing, the court’s oversight body concluded he committed serious misconduct and serious breach of duty
, according to Assembly of States President Päivi Kaukoranta.
Sexual Misconduct Allegations and the UN Investigation
The core of the case involves a female aide, identified only as Sarah, who worked for Khan at the ICC. In an interview with CNN, Sarah described a pattern of encroachments on the boundaries
that evolved into physical abuse, including groping, attempted kissing, and digital and genital penetration. She recounted an instance where Khan touched her intimately while she pretended to be asleep, leaving her feeling humiliated
.
The process to remove Khan was complex and marked by conflicting reports. The ICC’s executive committee suspended Khan in June after concluding he committed serious misconduct
. However, his legal team, led by Tayab Ali, claims a judicial panel unanimously determined that findings by the United Nations Office of Internal Oversight Services (OIOS) did not establish misconduct or breach of duty under the relevant legal framework.
President Kaukoranta disputed this, stating the assembly fully respected
Khan’s due process and that the OIOS investigation did indeed find evidence supporting the misconduct allegations.
Political Pressure and the Gaza War Warrants
The timing of the ouster has sparked intense debate over whether the misconduct claims were weaponized for political ends. In May 2024, Khan sought arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, as well as three top Hamas leaders, regarding war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza.
Now, with his own scandals exposed, his corrupt case against Netanyahu and Gallant is exposed as illegitimate,
Yechiel Leiter, Israel’s ambassador to the US
Conversely, Khan’s defense team argues the removal was political
and occurred while the court was under immense pressure.
The U.S. Campaign to Dismantle the ICC
The removal occurs amid an aggressive effort by the Trump administration to weaken the tribunal. U.S.
The U.S. has already imposed sanctions on 13 ICC staff members, including Khan, using financial penalties and travel bans.
This pressure manifested immediately following the vote.
Institutional Impact and Legal Continuity
Despite the leadership vacuum, the legal weight of Khan’s previous actions remains. The arrest warrants for Netanyahu and Gallant will have no immediate impact because they can only be withdrawn by ICC judges, not by a new prosecutor.
| Vote Category | Count |
|---|---|
| Votes in Favor of Removal | 82 |
| Votes Against Removal | 13 |
| Abstentions | 11 to 15* |
| Total Member States | 125 |
Challenges and Next Steps for the Tribunal
The ICC now faces the daunting task of electing a new prosecutor. This successor will likely enter office under the shadow of ongoing U.S. sanctions and a fractured membership. Liz Evenson of Human Rights Watch emphasized that the court must ensure a safe workplace with effective and credible mechanisms
for staff experiencing abuse.
Karim Khan does not intend to accept the decision quietly. His attorney, Tayab Ali, has stated that Khan will challenge the lawfulness and fairness of the decision through all available legal mechanisms, arguing he was denied a fair opportunity to be heard.
The removal of the chief prosecutor—the first in the court’s history—leaves the ICC in a precarious position. It must now balance its mandate to prosecute the world’s worst crimes while fighting a perception of political bias and an active campaign by a superpower to render it obsolete.
