ICC Governing Body Recommends Removal of Prosecutor Karim Khan

The executive bureau of the International Criminal Court (ICC) has recommended the dismissal of Chief Prosecutor Karim Khan following a yearlong investigation commissioned by the United Nations. The oversight panel concluded that Khan engaged in an inappropriate sexual relationship with a junior staff member beginning in March 2023, which escalated into non-consensual sexual contact at his office, private residence, and during official travel.

Khan has been suspended by the ICC and the Bar Standards Board, the independent regulator for lawyers in England and Wales. In a June 26 interview with Al Arabiya TV in Cairo, Khan condemned the suspension as unjustified and asserted that the court's bureau violated established procedures. His lawyers maintain the decision is unsupported by evidence, citing an external judicial panel that found insufficient evidence to prove the misconduct beyond a reasonable doubt.

The 125-member Assembly of States Parties is scheduled to vote on Khan's removal in New York on July 24, requiring a majority of 63 states for dismissal. The proceedings occur as the United States maintains sanctions on Khan and other ICC officials following the court's issuance of arrest warrants for Israeli leaders. Those warrants remain valid despite the current leadership crisis.