​UNITED NATIONS, NEW YORK — The International Criminal Court’s (ICC) governing body voted by a sweeping majority on Friday, July 24, 2026, to remove Chief Prosecutor Karim Khan from office following an extensive disciplinary inquiry into allegations of sexual misconduct and abuse of authority.
​The vote, conducted via secret ballot during a special session of the Assembly of States Parties at UN headquarters in New York, saw 82 of the tribunal’s 125 member nations vote to dismiss the 56-year-old British barrister. Thirteen states voted to retain Khan, 15 abstained, and five delegates were absent—marking the first time a chief prosecutor has been ousted in the court’s 24-year history.
​Päivi Kaukoranta, president of the Assembly of States Parties, announced that the body concluded Khan had committed “serious misconduct and a serious breach of duty.” The disciplinary probe focused on accusations brought by a female aide regarding coercive sexual behavior, alongside claims of attempts to deter her from pursuing complaints.
​Khan, who had been suspended from his position since June 2026 pending the vote, has consistently denied all allegations. Following the assembly’s decision, his legal representative, Tayab Ali of Bindmans LLP, condemned the process:
​”The assembly has disregarded fundamental principles of due process and ousted Mr. Khan without a lawful or procedurally fair finding. We intend to challenge the lawfulness of this decision across all available legal avenues.”
​Officials and legal scholars noted that Khan’s removal will have no legal impact on outstanding warrants previously approved by ICC judges.
High-profile warrants remain active, for Vladimir Putin, Benjamin Netanyahu, Yoav Gallant, Former Defense Minister of Israel and Min Aung Hlaing, Military Junta Leader of Myanmar.
​The Office of the Prosecutor in The Hague will continue under the leadership of Deputy Prosecutors Mame Mandiaye Niang and Nazhat Shameem Khan until member states convene to elect a permanent successor.
