ICC removes chief prosecutor over allegations of sexual misconduct – nationally
The chief prosecutor of the International Criminal Court was removed from office on Friday, nearly two years after allegations of sexual misconduct against him surfaced.
In a majority, the ICC’s 125 member states expelled British lawyer Karim Khan for “misconduct and serious breach of duty,” the court’s watchdog, the Assembly of States Parties, said in a statement.
The long and complex process has pitted human rights advocates, workers and member states at a time when the court is already facing serious challenges, including the United States’ campaign to “dismantle” the ICC, which was established to prosecute people involved in humanity’s worst crimes.
The governing body will now need to hold the election of a new prosecutor, someone who could face disciplinary action by the Trump administration, which has already brought the power of financial penalties and travel bans to 13 employees, including Khan.
“The ICC must hold itself to the highest standards. This includes ensuring a safe workplace with effective and reliable remedies available to employees or others who experience abuse, including sexual violence or harassment,” said Liz Evenson, global justice director at Human Rights Watch, in a statement sent to the AP.
Khan, 56, is accused of sexual misconduct with a female assistant, as revealed by the Associated Press in a series of stories, allegations he strongly denied. According to documents seen by the AP, Khan engaged in sexual relations with the woman and tried to stop her from continuing her allegations.
Khan’s lawyers criticized the process leading to his removal, complaining that he was prevented from addressing the jury on Friday and saying the rules had been rewritten to disadvantage him.
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Khan’s removal was “determined by a process in which he was not given a fair opportunity to be heard, and in defiance of the conclusions of independent judges who examined the full record of evidence,” lawyer Tayab Ali said in a statement. He said Khan’s legal team will challenge the decision “by all available legal means.”
This decision comes at a time when the world court is under a lot of pressure.
In a statement last week, Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the US is launching “a massive campaign to end the threat posed by the International Criminal Court to American sovereignty.”
Rubio said he would pressure member states to withdraw from the agency, punish organizations that work with the court and bar workers from traveling to the United States. Countries that “enjoy the benefits of the US security umbrella” will be asked to reject the court’s jurisdiction over US citizens.
Hours after the vote on Friday, Venezuela announced it would withdraw from the court. “Venezuela considers that what the Court is doing shows the visible bias of the country, which has concentrated its work in African and Latin American countries, to the detriment of the Global South,” Félix Plasencia, the country’s foreign minister, said in a statement.
Earlier this year, prosecutors in the court announced they were withdrawing the investigation into whether US sanctions against Venezuela qualify as crimes against humanity, due to a lack of evidence. A separate investigation into possible crimes committed by Venezuelan security forces under former Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro will continue.
The Trump administration has already imposed sanctions on Khan and a dozen other ICC staff members in retaliation for subpoenas the court issued to top Israeli officials, including Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, over the war in Gaza and an investigation into US personnel in Afghanistan.
The allegations against Khan are now related to the court’s investigation into the war in Gaza, experts said.
“Political considerations have been included in this, especially since it is the first time that a prosecutor has pursued warrants against a Western counterpart,” Iva Vukusic, a researcher at Utrecht University who has been following the process, told the AP.
Khan’s removal will have no immediate effect on the 2024 arrest of Netanyahu and former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant for crimes against humanity, which can only be overturned by ICC judges.
Before ending the closed session, Kaukoranta called on the international community to respect the “dignity and privacy of all parties involved” in the case involving Khan.
“I expressed my deep gratitude to the assembly of states for actively considering this difficult matter, and the spirit of unity shown in supporting the integrity of the court,” he said.
Quell reported from The Hague, Netherlands. Amiri reported from New York.
© 2026 The Canadian Press
