ICC Assembly votes 82-13 to remove prosecutor Karim Khan over sexual assault allegations

The vote

On 24 July 2026, the 125-member Assembly of States Parties of the International Criminal Court voted in a closed-door session at UN headquarters in New York to remove prosecutor Karim Khan from office. The secret ballot saw 82 states in favour of removal, 13 against, and 15 abstentions, surpassing the required majority of 63 votes. The decision cited "serious misconduct" and "serious breach of the duties of his office". The ICC, based in The Hague, said it had "taken note" of the decision and that deputy prosecutors would continue the work of the Office of the Prosecutor, as they have since Khan stepped aside over a year ago.

The allegations

Khan, a 56-year-old British lawyer who had led the ICC since 2021, faced accusations of sexual assault from a female colleague. The accuser, a Malaysian lawyer identified by CNN as Sarah, spoke publicly for the first time last week. She described "an escalation of attempts" and said the power imbalance made consent impossible.

It is impossible for there to be consent when there is such a power imbalance. What many people don't understand is that Mr. Khan was not just my boss, but everyone's boss.

Khan temporarily left his post in May 2025 pending an investigation launched the previous year. In June 2025, the 21-member Bureau of the Assembly suspended him, while stressing that the suspension did not prejudge the final outcome.

Khan's response

Khan has consistently denied all allegations. His lawyer Tayab Ali announced that Khan will challenge the decision through all available legal mechanisms, criticising the Assembly for not allowing him to present a defence. In an open letter published on X earlier this week, Khan's lawyers urged member states not to remove him, arguing that investigation reports had not established evidence of misconduct. They warned that sanctioning Khan would send a message that "independence comes at a price".

Mr. Khan will challenge the legality and fairness of the decision through all available legal mechanisms.

Political backdrop

Khan's tenure was marked by high-profile cases, most notably the arrest warrants issued in 2024 against Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Defence Minister Yoav Gallant over the war in Gaza. The United States subsequently sanctioned Khan and several other ICC judges involved in the case. Neither Israel nor the United States are parties to the ICC, but their nationals can be prosecuted for crimes committed outside their territory. The Courrier international noted that after the Hamas attack on Israel on 7 October 2023, pressure on the Court intensified, and Khan's management style came under strain.

What happens next

The ICC's deputy prosecutors will continue to run the office while the search for a new prosecutor begins. Khan's legal challenge could prolong the controversy, but the Assembly's vote is final under the Court's rules. The removal raises questions about the ICC's ability to maintain credibility while pursuing sensitive cases, including those involving powerful states.