Karim Khan removed as ICC prosecutor after member states vote
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Karim Khan has been removed as prosecutor of the International Criminal Court (ICC) after the court's member states voted to dismiss him over findings of serious misconduct related to allegations of sexual abuse.
The decision was taken on Friday during a special meeting of the ICC's 125 member states at the United Nations headquarters in New York.
According to sources familiar with the vote, 82 countries supported Khan's removal, 13 opposed it and 11 abstained.
The vote followed a disciplinary process that examined allegations made by a former ICC staff member, who accused Khan of coercive and non-consensual sexual behaviour over an extended period. Khan has repeatedly denied the allegations. His lawyers argued the disciplinary process was procedurally unfair and said he would challenge the decision through all available legal avenues.
Khan, a British barrister elected in 2021 for a nine-year term, oversaw several high-profile investigations, including cases that led ICC judges to issue arrest warrants for Russian President Vladimir Putin and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Those warrants remain unaffected by his removal.
The ICC's governing body suspended Khan last month after concluding he had committed serious misconduct and referred the matter to member states for a final decision. An executive committee report found no evidence supporting claims that the complainant had been manipulated by third parties or intelligence agencies.
Khan has also denied separate allegations of sexual misconduct made by another woman, who accused him of mistreating her while she worked as his intern earlier in his career.
The ICC will now begin the process of appointing a new prosecutor.
Khan's two deputies have been leading the prosecution office since he stepped aside during the disciplinary proceedings. The court faces the leadership transition amid renewed sanctions and criticism from the United States, which has vowed to further restrict the ICC's operations.