Breaking News: The International Criminal Court’s chief prosecutor, Karim Khan, has been removed from office following allegations of sexual misconduct.
Karim Khan, the ICC prosecutor who pursued arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, has been dismissed by the court’s governing body. The decision followed disciplinary proceedings relating to allegations involving a junior female staffer in his office, confirmed by Fox News. Khan denies any wrongdoing.
The Assembly of States Parties, the ICC’s 125-member body, voted 82-0 to remove Khan, a first in the court’s history, reports The Jerusalem Post. The dismissal occurred after a UN oversight investigation found “serious misconduct”, according to the Associated Press. The allegations involve a female aide accusing Khan of nonconsensual sexual conduct, as she revealed in a CNN interview, stating a “power disparity” invalidated any claim of consent.
Khan’s removal comes shortly after New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani publicly discussed the possibility of arresting Netanyahu should he enter the city, invoking the ICC warrants. Mamdani later conceded the city lacked the authority to enforce the warrants, reported by Fox News. The ICC issued the warrants in November 2024, prompting condemnation from both Israel and the United States, neither of whom are members of the court.
Israel’s Ambassador to the United Nations, Danny Danon, stated to Fox News Digital that Khan sought to “scapegoat Israel” to deflect from the misconduct allegations. He added that the international community’s decision proved Khan “was wrong”. Khan’s legal team contends the process was politically motivated and lacked due process, highlighting that the UN oversight body never made a formal finding of misconduct, according to Fox News.
The ICC has not indicated whether the removal impacts the standing arrest warrants for Netanyahu and former Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant. Khan’s lawyers intend to legally challenge the decision.
Sources: The Jerusalem Post, Fox News, The Associated Press, CNN.
