Karim Khan Removed: The International Criminal Court Turns the Page on Its Prosecutor
The Assembly of States Parties to the International Criminal Court decided on Friday to remove Prosecutor Karim Khan from office amid allegations of sexual assault, which he denies, involving a member of his team.
Several diplomatic sources told Agence France-Presse that more than 80 of the Court’s 125 member states voted in a secret ballot, held during a special closed-door meeting at the United Nations headquarters in New York, in favor of ending the British national’s term in office.
In the same context, two diplomatic sources told Reuters that member states of the International Criminal Court had voted to remove Karim Khan from his position as prosecutor following allegations of inappropriate sexual conduct.
The two sources, who spoke on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the matter, said that 82 of the Court’s 125 member states had voted in favor of removing the prosecutor.
Khan, 56, denies any wrongdoing, while his lawyers have described the proceedings that led to the vote as unlawful and procedurally unfair, arguing that they were not supported by evidence.
Khan’s removal comes after the United States announced that it would launch a new diplomatic campaign aimed at dismantling the International Criminal Court, which Washington says poses a threat to its sovereignty.
Last month, diplomats overseeing the Court’s oversight body concluded that the British lawyer had engaged in an inappropriate sexual relationship with a junior female lawyer at the International Criminal Court and should be dismissed from his position. Member states largely accepted that conclusion, which was reflected in Friday’s vote at the United Nations headquarters in New York.
Suspension from Practice
On June 19, 2026, the British Bar Standards Board temporarily suspended International Criminal Court Prosecutor Karim Khan from practicing as a barrister over allegations of sexual misconduct.
The Court had already suspended Khan on June 8, prolonging a crisis within the institution, which prosecutes war crimes and is also currently subject to U.S. sanctions over its investigations into cases involving the United States and Israel.
In a statement, the Bar Standards Board said that a specialized panel would review the suspension decision, which took immediate effect, at a hearing to be held within four weeks.
Khan, 56, denies the allegations against him. His supporters argue that he became a political target because of his efforts to secure arrest warrants for Israeli officials over actions carried out by Israel during the Gaza war.
The United States is not a member of the Court, but it has imposed sanctions on 11 of its judges and prosecutors, including Khan, following the issuance of arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, as well as over a previous investigation into U.S. forces in Afghanistan. Washington has also threatened to impose further sanctions on the Court.
After allegations against Khan emerged in 2024, the Court commissioned an external body to investigate the matter. In May 2025, Khan took voluntary leave, while his two deputies assumed responsibility for his duties.
Khan denies any wrongdoing and has said that he will take all necessary steps to challenge the International Criminal Court’s decision to suspend him from his position.
