International Criminal Court's British chief prosecutor is ousted over sexual misconduct claims in unprecedented move

By FRANCINE WOLFISZ, NEWS REPORTER Published: 23:17, 24 July 2026 | Updated: 23:17, 24 July 2026 The International Criminal Court has voted to remove chief prosecutor Karim Khan for alleged sexual misconduct. Elected in 2021 as the ICC's third prosecutor, Khan was suspended in June amid claims involving a female aide. The decision to oust Khan from the 125-member body passed with 82 votes in favour of his removal. The court's oversight body, the Assembly of States Parties, concluded Khan had committed 'serious misconduct and serious breach of duty,' said Päivi Kaukoranta, the body's president. According to documents, Khan engaged in a sexual relationship with the woman and tried to prevent her from pursuing her allegations.  Khan, 56, disputes those findings and denies all the claims against him. The lengthy and complicated process has pitted human rights advocates, staff and member states against one another 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. Trump's administration 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 US personnel in Afghanistan. The International Criminal Court has voted to remove chief prosecutor Karim Khan for alleged sexual misconduct A woman known only as Sarah appeared on CNN last week to speak about the alleged abuse she experienced at the hands of Khan The court's oversight body, the Assembly of States Parties, concluded Khan had committed 'serious misconduct and serious breach of duty,' said Päivi Kaukoranta, the body's president 'Karim Khan believed that by launching a political witch hunt against Israel and issuing a politically motivated arrest warrant against Prime Minister Netanyahu, the world would ignore the grave sexual misconduct allegations against him. He was wrong,' Israel's ambassador to the United Nations, Danny Danon, said in a statement. The allegations 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,' said Iva Vukusic, a researcher at Utrecht University who has been following the process. 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. The ousted chief prosecutor's lawyers described his suspension as 'unlawful, procedurally unfair and unsupported by evidence'. Last week, two of his alleged victims spoke publicly about the claims against Khan. In an interview with CNN's Christiane Amanpour, an ICC employee identified only as Sarah described the British lawyer's behaviour as 'an escalation of attempts,' adding: 'It was kind of like encroachments on the boundaries slowly – not just physically, but emotionally as well'. Sarah, who worked directly for Khan, alleged that, during an official visit to Colombia, he entered her hotel room. She recounted that he touched her intimately while she pretended to be asleep, claiming that he 'started to put his hand down my leggings, to grope me, to put his tongue in my ear'. 'There is no way for something to be consensual ​when you have such a power disparity,' Sarah added. Karim Khan was suspended two weeks ago by the ICC and the Bar Standards Board, stopping him from practising in England and Wales A second woman, referred to by a pseudonym, Patricia, also spoke to CNN. The woman, who came forward last year with allegations against Khan, had worked for him earlier in his career. She said that while working as an intern in 2009, she was required to work at his house. The former intern alleged that 'without fail every time I was there it was a constant onslaught of him coming on to me, groping me, grabbing me, kissing my face, touching my hair, trying to get me to engage in intimate activity with him'. Earlier this month, Britain's legal watchdog announced that it had upheld a suspension for Khan over allegations of sexual misconduct, banning him from practising law in the UK. In June, the UK's Bar Standards Board suspended Khan, a measure adopted 'in very serious and urgent cases,' according to the regulator, following a complaint. After a hearing, the bar association upheld the decision while disciplinary proceedings are underway.