Karim Khan, the chief prosecutor of the International Criminal Court (ICC), was removed from his position following a vote by the court’s member states at a special meeting held at the United Nations headquarters in New York on July 24, 2026. This marks the first time in the ICC’s 24-year history that a chief prosecutor has been ousted. The vote concluded after a disciplinary process stemming from allegations of sexual misconduct against Khan, which first surfaced in 2024.
A total of 82 out of 125 member states voted in favor of Khan’s removal, with 13 opposing and 11 abstaining, according to officials familiar with the matter. The decision followed a detailed review of investigative reports, including a fact-finding investigation by a UN watchdog and a legal analysis conducted by a panel of judges. The ICC’s executive committee had suspended Khan the previous month after determining he had committed serious misconduct.
The allegations originated from a female aide who worked closely with Khan at the ICC. She accused him of coercive and non-consensual sexual behaviour over an extended period, which reportedly took place in multiple locations, including the ICC offices, Khan’s residence in The Hague, and during official trips. Despite the serious nature of the claims, the ICC investigation concluded there was insufficient evidence to prove non-consensual conduct beyond reasonable doubt, though it found a factual basis for some of the complaints.
Khan and his legal team have consistently denied the allegations. His lawyers have criticized the disciplinary proceedings as unfair and claim they were never afforded a proper opportunity to mount a defense. They plan to challenge the decision through all available legal channels, describing the removal as unsupported by lawful or well-reasoned findings.
In the wake of the allegations, Khan’s representatives and some observers suggested that the accusations could be part of a campaign to discredit him, possibly linked to his prosecution decisions. Khan had been a polarizing figure internationally due to his efforts to seek arrest warrants for several high-profile leaders, including Russia’s Vladimir Putin, and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu along with former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant. These warrants, approved by ICC judges and unrelated to Khan’s removal, remain in effect despite the change in leadership.
The vote exposed divisions within the ICC’s membership, with Western countries and their allies predominantly supporting removal, while some African and developing nations opposed it or abstained. The proceedings also highlighted the political sensitivities surrounding the court’s work, especially its investigations related to Israel and Gaza, which have drawn both strong support and sharp criticism from different global actors.
Khan’s tenure at the ICC had been marked by increased visibility and controversy, including his role in pursuing cases linked to the war in Ukraine, Palestine, and other conflict zones. His removal ushers in a new period of uncertainty for the institution as it navigates both internal challenges and external political pressures.