In brief
The International Criminal Court (ICC) voted to dismiss its chief prosecutor Karim Khan after an investigation found evidence of a serious breach of duty involving a junior staff member. Khan, a British lawyer elected in 2021, faced 82 votes in favour of removal and remains suspended from legal practice in the UK. The scandal unfolds alongside a hostile US campaign to undermine the ICC, with sanctions and diplomatic pressure threatening the court’s future. The case highlights deep divisions within the institution and prompts questions about its capacity to prosecute war crimes amid global political tensions.
The International Criminal Court (ICC) has formally dismissed its chief prosecutor, Karim Khan, following an investigation that concluded he engaged in an improper sexual relationship with a junior staff member and sought to silence her complaint.
Elected in 2021, Khan was already on voluntary leave while a UK Bar Standards Board interim ban precluded him from practising law. He was unable to attend the vote at the United Nations in New York because he is barred from entry to the United States under sanctions imposed by the Trump administration.
The ICC’s Independent Oversight Mechanism opened an inquiry in May 2024, but it was closed when the alleged victim declined to participate. A second referral in October 2024 was taken up by the United Nations Office of Internal Oversight Services, which produced more than 5,000 pages of evidence.
Panel judges reviewed the findings and concluded Khan’s conduct amounted to serious misconduct, a verdict that the court accepted before voting to remove him with 82 votes in favour.
The decision comes at a time when the United States has launched a “whole‑of‑government” campaign to dismantle the ICC, promising visa bans, asset freezes and diplomatic pressure on allies to withdraw from or refuse the court’s jurisdiction. The US has also applied sanctions to Khan for seeking arrest warrants against Israeli officials linked to the Gaza conflict.
While the ICC still retains jurisdiction over crimes committed by nationals of member states, the tribunal’s reputation and effectiveness face scrutiny. Critics argue that the scandal and the US‑led campaign could weaken the ICC’s capacity to address the gravest global crimes.
