ICC countries dismiss prosecutor Karim Khan over alleged sexual misconduct

In an unprecedented decision for the court tasked with prosecuting the world's most serious international crimes, the Assembly of States Parties to the International Criminal Court (ICC) dismissed Prosecutor Karim Khan on Friday. The vote, held at the United Nations headquarters in New York, saw 82 states in favor, 13 against, and 15 abstentions, comfortably surpassing the required absolute majority.

Khan, a British lawyer of Pakistani origin who has led the Prosecutor's Office since 2021, denied any wrongdoing, stating he had committed no conduct that could be described as "inappropriate, unwanted, or abusive." He had previously suggested that a campaign was underway to remove him from his post following his May 2024 request for arrest warrants against Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and then-Defense Minister Yoav Gallant.

Israel's Ambassador to the UN, Danny Danon, celebrated Khan's dismissal on social media platform X, stating, "The prosecutor thought his political witch hunt against Israel and his scandalous arrest warrants would distract from the serious allegations of sexual misconduct, but he was wrong." The removal of Khan does not automatically halt ongoing investigations, including the one concerning the situation in Palestine.

“

The prosecutor thought his political witch hunt against Israel and his scandalous arrest warrants would distract from the serious allegations of sexual misconduct, but he was wrong.