The International Criminal Court’s member states have voted to dismiss its chief prosecutor, Karim Khan, over allegations he engaged in an improper sexual relationship with a junior staff member and tried to stop her pursuing a complaint. In a secret ballot at the United Nations headquarters in New York, 82 of the court’s 125 member states voted in favour of removal, with 13 against and 11 abstaining.
The vote concludes a two-year disciplinary saga that began in May 2024 when allegations of sexual misconduct were first reported to the ICC by a third party. The court’s Independent Oversight Mechanism opened an investigation, but it was later closed after the alleged victim declined to participate. Investigators said there was insufficient evidence. A second referral followed in October 2024. In June, the ICC’s oversight body found Khan had committed a “serious breach of duty and serious misconduct” by engaging in the relationship and seeking to stop the complaint.
“ICC member states voted 82-13 to remove prosecutor Karim Khan over sexual misconduct allegations.”
Khan, a 56-year-old British barrister elected as the ICC’s third prosecutor in 2021, has repeatedly denied all allegations. His lawyer said he would “challenge the lawfulness and fairness of the decision through all available legal mechanisms”. Khan has been on voluntary leave since May 2025 to fight the claims and remains suspended from practising law in the UK after the Bar Standards Board imposed an interim ban pending its own inquiry.
The controversy has left the court under intense scrutiny. The ICC said it “took note” of the decision and would “continue to attach the utmost importance to maintaining a safe, inclusive, and respectful working environment for all personnel”. However, supporters fear the institution has emerged weakened and less able to face the gravest global threats.
During his tenure, Khan obtained arrest warrants for Russian president Vladimir Putin and Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu, actions that raised the ICC’s profile but also drew it into conflict with major powers. Those warrants, issued by judges, are unaffected by his removal. Khan was unable to attend the vote because he is barred from entering the United States under sanctions imposed by the Trump administration over the ICC’s investigation into alleged war crimes by Israeli officials in Gaza.
The disciplinary process has left the court’s prosecution division, which has about 400 staff, bruised by the protracted scandal. Regardless of his removal, the controversy is unlikely to end there.