ICC Prosecutor Karim Khan Dismissed Over Alleged Sexual Misconduct

The member states of the International Criminal Court (ICC) have voted to dismiss Chief Prosecutor Karim Khan following allegations of sexual misconduct, the court’s oversight body announced. The Assembly of States Parties (ASP) to the Rome Statute, which serves as the court’s management and legislative body, voted during a special session at the United Nations headquarters in New York on Friday, with 82 of the 125 member states supporting the dismissal. ASP President Paivi Kaukoranta stated that the assembly had determined the elected official had committed serious breaches and grave violations of his duties. She noted that the allegations stemmed from an internal workplace complaint regarding prohibited conduct by an elected official towards a subordinate female staff member. Karim Khan, a British advocate, has denied the allegations. He gained international prominence in May 2024 after requesting arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, then-Defence Minister Yoav Gallant, and Hamas leaders, a move that subsequently led the United States to impose sanctions against him.