ICC chief prosecutor removed from post over sexual misconduct
allegations
[July 25, 2026]
By MOLLY QUELL, EDITH M. LEDERER and FARNOUSH AMIRI
UNITED NATIONS (AP) — The chief prosecutor of the International Criminal
Court was removed from office on Friday, nearly two years after sexual
misconduct allegations against him first emerged.
The ouster of Karim Khan comes at a time when the court is already
facing daunting challenges, including a campaign by the United States to
“dismantle” the ICC, which was established to prosecute people
responsible for humanity’s worst crimes.
By a large majority, the ICC’s 125-member states voted to remove Khan, a
British barrister, for “serious misconduct and serious breach of duty,”
the court’s oversight body, the Assembly of States Parties, said in a
statement.
“The ICC should hold itself to the highest standards. This includes
ensuring a safe workplace with effective and credible mechanisms
available to staff or others who experience abuse, including sexual
violence or harassment,” Liz Evenson, international justice director at
Human Rights Watch, said in a statement to The Associated Press.
The 56-year-old Khan was accused of sexual misconduct with a female
aide, as outlined by the AP in a series of stories, allegations he has
steadfastly denied. According to documents seen by the AP, Khan engaged
in a sexual relationship with the woman and tried to prevent her from
pursuing her allegations.
The oversight body will now need to hold elections for a new prosecutor,
someone who is likely to face sanctions by the Trump administration,
which has already brought the force of financial penalties and travel
bans on 13 members of staff, including Khan.
Khan's lawyers criticized the process leading to his ouster, complaining
that he was blocked from addressing the session Friday and arguing the
regulations had been rewritten to disadvantage him.
Khan's “removal was determined by a process in which he was never given
a fair opportunity to be heard, and in defiance of the conclusions of
the independent judges who examined the full evidential record,”
attorney Tayab Ali said in a statement. He said Khan's legal team would
challenge the decision “through all available legal mechanisms."
The decision comes at a time when the global tribunal is under enormous
pressure.
In a statement last week, Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the U.S.
was launching a “sweeping campaign to dismantle the threat posed by the
International Criminal Court to U.S. sovereignty.”
Rubio said he will pressure member states to withdraw from the
institution, sanction organizations that work with the court and ban
staff from traveling to the United States. Countries that “enjoy the
benefits of the U.S. security umbrella” will be called upon to reject
the court’s jurisdiction over U.S. citizens, Rubio said.
[to top of second column]
|
Karim Khan, Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court,
looks up prior to a press conference in The Hague, Netherlands, July
3, 2023. (AP Photo/Peter Dejong, File)
Hours after Friday's vote, Venezuela announced it would withdraw
from the court. “Venezuela considers that the Court’s actions
reflect a demonstrated geographical bias, which has
disproportionately concentrated its work on African and Latin
American countries, to the detriment of the Global South,” Félix
Plasencia, the country’s foreign affairs minister announced in a
statement.
Earlier this year, prosecutors at the court announced they were
dropping an investigation into whether U.S. sanctions against
Venezuela qualified as crimes against humanity, citing a lack of
evidence. A separate investigation into possible crimes committed by
Venezuelan security forces under former Venezuelan President Nicolás
Maduro will continue.
Trump’s administration already has brought sanctions against Khan
and a dozen other ICC staff in retaliation for warrants the court
has issued for top Israeli officials, including Prime Minister
Benjamin Netanyahu, over the war in Gaza and investigations into
U.S. personnel in Afghanistan.
The allegations against Khan have become entwined with the court’s
investigation into the war in Gaza, experts said.
“Political considerations have been folded into this, especially as
it is the first time a prosecutor has pursued warrants against a
Western ally,” Iva Vukusic, a researcher at Utrecht University who
has been following the process, told the AP.
Khan's removal will have no immediate impact on the arrest warrants
in 2024 for Netanyahu and former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant for
crimes against humanity, which can only be withdrawn by ICC judges.
Before ending the closed session, Kaukoranta called for the
international community to respect “the dignity and privacy of all
those involved” in the case regarding Khan.
“I expressed my deep appreciation to the assembly of states parties
for the diligent consideration of this difficult matter, and for the
spirit of unity shown in upholding the integrity of the court,” she
said.
___
Quell reported from The Hague, Netherlands. Amiri reported from New
York.
All contents © copyright 2026 Associated Press. All rights reserved |
