International Criminal Court removes prosecutor Karim Khan over misconduct

Member states of the International Criminal Court voted to dismiss prosecutor Karim Khan after allegations of a non‑consensual sexual relationship with a junior ICC lawyer. A majority of 82 of the 125 states parties, including Poland, supported the removal, which was announced by the court’s governing body president Paivi Kaukoranta.

Khan denied any wrongdoing and said he will contest the decision through all legal avenues. The dismissal triggers a process to elect a new ICC prosecutor, a successor is not expected until next year. Existing ICC arrest warrants, such as those issued earlier for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former defence minister Yoav Gallant over alleged war crimes in Gaza, remain in force.

The move follows earlier controversies surrounding Khan, including his request for arrest warrants against Israeli leaders and subsequent sanctions imposed by the United States on several ICC officials, including Khan himself.