ICC member states vote overwhelmingly to remove prosecutor Karim Khan after sexual misconduct allegations

Vote to remove

On 24 July 2026, member states of the International Criminal Court voted overwhelmingly to remove prosecutor Karim Khan from office. The secret ballot, held during an extraordinary closed session at UN headquarters in New York, saw 82 of the court's 125 states parties support his dismissal, while 13 voted against and 15 abstained, according to sources cited by AFP. A procedural motion introduced by Sierra Leone that would have made removal more difficult was rejected at the start of the session; diplomats then moved quickly to the vote. The outcome marks the first time in the ICC's history that a prosecutor has been removed by the assembly of states parties.

Allegations and suspension

Khan, a 56-year-old British lawyer who had led the court since 2021, was accused of sexual assault by a female advisor. He has repeatedly denied the allegations. An inquiry was launched in 2024 after the staff member came forward. In May 2025, Khan temporarily stepped aside pending its outcome. The following month, the court's oversight body concluded he had committed "serious misconduct," and the 21-member Bureau of the Assembly suspended him. Khan's lawyers published an open letter this week urging states not to remove him, arguing that the procedures for his defence had not been respected and warning that the decision could undermine the independence of future prosecutors.

## Reactions The ICC, based in The Hague, said it "took note" of the decision and stated that Khan had committed "serious misconduct and a serious breach of duty."

The Court will continue to attach the utmost importance to maintaining a safe, inclusive and respectful working environment for all its staff.

Kenneth Roth, former executive director of Human Rights Watch and now a visiting professor at Princeton University, said on social media that the states had done "the right thing." Israeli UN ambassador Danny Danon sharply criticised Khan, linking the removal to the prosecutor's pursuit of Israeli officials.

Khan believed his political witch hunt against Israel and the absurd arrest warrants would divert attention from the serious sexual misconduct allegations. He was wrong.

Warrants and US pressure

Khan gained international prominence in 2024 when he obtained arrest warrants against Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former defence minister Yoav Gallant over the war in Gaza. The ICC also issued warrants against Hamas leaders, who have since been killed; the group carried out the 7 October 2023 attacks on Israel. The removal does not affect those warrants; only the court's judges have the authority to revoke them. The vote took place amid growing pressure from the Trump administration on the ICC, which has long been a target of US criticism over its investigations into American and Israeli actions.