The International Criminal Court has removed Chief Prosecutor Karim Khan from office following a vote by its governing body over sexual misconduct allegations, making him the first sitting chief prosecutor in the court's history to be dismissed, as reported by PJ Media.
The Assembly of States Parties, the 125-member governing body of the International Criminal Court (ICC), voted Friday to remove Khan after disciplinary proceedings stemming from allegations made by a junior female staff member.
Khan has denied the allegations and says he intends to challenge the decision.
According to Reuters, 82 member states voted in favor of removing Khan, exceeding the majority required under ICC rules.
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Khan stepped aside from his duties in May 2025 while the United Nations Office of Internal Oversight Services investigated the allegations.
The ICC later suspended him in June 2026 pending the outcome of Friday's vote.
The Hague-based ICC was established under the Rome Statute to prosecute individuals accused of genocide, crimes against humanity, war crimes and the crime of aggression when national courts are unable or unwilling to prosecute those offenses.
According to the Associated Press, the ICC's oversight body concluded that Khan committed "serious misconduct."
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The allegations originated from a former aide who has been publicly identified only as "Sarah." She accused Khan of engaging in nonconsensual sexual conduct.
"There is no way for something to be consensual when you have such a power disparity," Sarah told CNN.
Khan's legal team rejected both the allegations and the decision to remove him from office, arguing the disciplinary process failed to provide due process.
"The decision is unsupported by any lawful or properly reasoned finding that Mr. Khan KC committed misconduct or breached his duties as Prosecutor," said Tayab Ali, partner at Bindmans LLP and head of Khan's legal team.
"He has denied the allegations from the outset and continues to do so."
Ali also argued that the United Nations Office of Internal Oversight Services did not find misconduct and said a three-judge ICC panel unanimously concluded in March 2026 that the factual findings did not establish misconduct or a breach of duty.
According to Ali, the Assembly of States Parties prevented Khan and his legal team from making formal submissions before the vote and conducted what he described as a politically motivated process.
"The Prosecutor of this Court has been removed by an executive vote while under sanctions and while the Court is under immense political pressure," Ali said.
Ali added that Khan plans to challenge the decision through every available legal avenue.
Khan attracted international attention during his tenure after seeking arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant over Israel's war against Hamas in Gaza.
ICC judges approved those warrants in November 2024 despite objections from both Israel and the United States, neither of which is a party to the Rome Statute.
The ICC has stated that Khan's removal does not affect the legal status of those warrants. They remain in force unless the court's judges decide to modify or revoke them.
The warrants also became an issue in New York politics. During his mayoral campaign, New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani said he would seek Netanyahu's arrest if the Israeli leader visited New York.
After taking office, Mamdani later acknowledged that New York City does not have the authority to enforce an ICC warrant, while urging the federal government to do so.
Khan's removal also comes as Secretary of State Marco Rubio has continued the Trump administration's efforts to challenge the authority of the International Criminal Court. Rubio has argued that the court poses a threat to U.S. sovereignty.
Although Khan has been removed as chief prosecutor, the ICC has made clear that the arrest warrants issued for Netanyahu and Gallant remain valid unless the court determines otherwise.
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