Karim Khan removed as ICC prosecutor over sexual misconduct allegations

Key Points:

• Karim Khan, chief prosecutor of the International Criminal Court (ICC), was removed from office following a vote by the ICC’s Assembly of States Parties due to sexual misconduct allegations involving a junior female staffer, marking the first time a sitting ICC chief prosecutor has been dismissed.
• Khan had pursued controversial ICC arrest warrants against Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant over alleged war crimes in Gaza, which sparked condemnation from Israel and the U.S., neither of which are ICC members.
• The dismissal followed an investigation by the U.N. Office of Internal Oversight Services and disciplinary proceedings, though Khan and his legal team deny the allegations and argue the removal was politically motivated and procedurally unfair.
• Israeli officials criticized Khan’s removal as undermining the legitimacy of the ICC’s actions against Netanyahu, accusing Khan of using politically motivated charges to distract from his own misconduct.
• The ICC has not commented on whether Khan’s removal affects the outstanding arrest warrants against Netanyahu and Gallant, which remain in place as they were issued by judges after Khan’s request.