Karim Khan has been dismissed from his position as the lead prosecutor of the International Criminal Court following a vote by member nations. The decision to remove Khan, who has served in the role since 2021, was confirmed by 82 votes after he had been under suspension for the previous month.
An oversight investigation concluded that Khan committed significant professional misconduct by engaging in an inappropriate sexual relationship with a subordinate and attempting to obstruct her from filing a formal complaint. Khan has consistently rejected these accusations, with his legal team characterizing the suspension as procedurally flawed and lacking credible evidence.
The inquiry into Khan’s conduct involved a lengthy process, including a thorough review by the United Nations Office of Internal Oversight Services that spanned over a year and compiled thousands of pages of testimony. This development occurs amidst significant external pressure on the court, particularly following the United States’ recent efforts to challenge the institution’s authority after Khan requested arrest warrants for Israeli officials regarding the conflict in Gaza.
The removal of the British lawyer occurs while he remains on leave and faces a separate temporary legal practice ban in the UK. Because of existing US sanctions related to the court’s work, Khan was unable to attend the proceedings at the UN headquarters in New York.
