Karim Khan, the chief prosecutor of the International Criminal Court (ICC) who instigated arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and then Defence Minister Yoav Gallant for war crimes in Gaza, has been dismissed over alleged sexual misconduct.
The organisation, which suspended the British lawyer in early June, voted to oust him, with 82 of the 125 member countries in favour of his removal after finding that he had “committed serious misconduct and serious breach of duty”.
Khan has repeatedly denied the accusations of coercive sexual behaviour in 2023 and 2024, which were made by a woman who worked for him at the ICC.
In a statement following the vote, the ICC’s prosecutor’s office said it “maintains a zero-tolerance policy against sexual harassment and other forms of misconduct, and is committed to upholding professionalism, integrity, and accountability in carrying out its work.
“It will continue to foster a respectful, safe and inclusive workplace environment by prioritising the duty of care it owes to its staff members.The Court will continue to attach the utmost importance to maintaining a safe, inclusive, and respectful working environment for all personnel.”
Khan’s lawyers said he would challenge "the lawfulness and fairness of the decision” through all available legal routes.
Elected in 2021 to serve a nine-year term, Khan has been on voluntary leave for more than a year in order to contest the claims against him. He is suspended from practice in the UK pending an inquiry by the Bar Standards Board.
Khan’s move in 2024 to prosecute the Israeli leaders caused outrage in Israel and the USA, neither of which are members of the court. He also called for the arrest of three Hamas leaders, who were all killed by Israel following the October 7 attack.
He was also reportedly considering arrest warrants against Israeli ultra-nationalist ministers Itamar Ben Gvir and Bezalel Smotrich before he took leave last year.
US sanctions on the ICC prevented him from travelling to New York to attend the vote on his future at the UN on Friday.
The US administration has pledged to dismantle the court “brick by brick”.
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