ICC Chief Prosecutor Karim Khan ousted amid sexual misconduct allegations
Members of the International Criminal Court (ICC) voted 82‑to‑0 to dismiss chief prosecutor Karim Khan after an investigation found a serious breach of duty and misconduct involving an inappropriate relationship with a junior staff member. The finding was based on evidence collected by the court’s Independent Oversight Mechanism and the United Nations Office of Internal Oversight Services.
Khan, a British lawyer elected in 2021, had been suspended in May 2025 pending the inquiry and remains barred from practising law in the UK. He could not attend the vote, scheduled at the United Nations headquarters in New York, because he is subject to U.S. sanctions that prohibit his entry into the United States.
The investigation, which spanned more than five thousand pages of testimony, culminated in a panel of judges declaring Khan’s conduct as serious misconduct. His supporters have called the suspension unlawful and procedurally unfair.
Beyond the removal of an individual, this episode has triggered deeper scrutiny of the ICC’s internal processes and amplified tensions between the court and powerful states, notably the United States, Russia, and Israel, none of which are ICC members. Critics warn that the tribunal could become weakened and less able to confront the world’s gravest crimes.
Despite the dismissal, the controversy will likely continue as political pressures grow and the ICC faces broader challenges to its survival. The court’s future, and its ability to hold perpetrators accountable, remains uncertain amid calls for reform and for an end to U.S. attempts to dismantle the institution.
