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6d ago

ICC Assembly Removes Prosecutor Karim Khan by Wide Majority

The vote deepens questions about state pressure on the court and leaves its leadership and reputation uncertain.

International Criminal Court (ICC) Chief Prosecutor Karim Khan speaks at a press conference during his first official visit to Canada on Parliament Hill, in Ottawa, on Friday, May 5, 2023. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Spencer Colby
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Overview

  • The Assembly of States Parties voted to remove Karim Khan with 82 of 125 votes in a secret ballot last Friday, concluding an 18-month disciplinary process over sexual‑misconduct allegations that Khan denies.
  • An earlier panel of ICC‑appointed judges cleared Khan in March, but the ASP bureau later concluded he had 'engaged in a sexual relationship,' producing a direct conflict over the factual and procedural record.
  • The Office of the Prosecutor will be run by Khan’s two deputy prosecutors for now and existing ICC arrest warrants remain in force because only ICC judges can withdraw them.
  • The removal has intensified scrutiny of external pressure on the court, highlighted by U.S. sanctions on ICC staff, public calls from senior U.S. officials to act against the ICC, and reporting that Israeli and U.S. actors lobbied or discussed using the allegations to delay warrants.
  • Khan says he will legally challenge the dismissal, at least one state has announced withdrawal from the court, and member states now face a contentious succession process and fresh questions about cooperation and the ICC’s credibility.