ICC members dismiss prosecutor Karim Khan, diplomatic sources say
The President of the Assembly of States Parties (ASP) to the International Criminal Court (ICC), Paivi Kaukoranta addresses delegates before a vote on whether to fire chief prosecutor Karim Khan for alleged sexual misconduct at United Nations headquarters in New York City, US, July 24, 2026—REUTERS
Member states of the International Criminal Court on Friday voted to dismiss Karim Khan as prosecutor following alleged sexual misconduct, two diplomatic sources told Reuters.
According to the sources, speaking on condition of anonymity to discuss a sensitive matter, 82 of the court's 125 member states voted in favour of the prosecutor's removal.
Khan, 56, denies any wrongdoing, and his lawyers have called the decision by the court's governing body that led to Friday's vote unlawful, procedurally unfair and unsupported by evidence.
The vote comes amid renewed US criticism of the war crimes court, which Washington sees as a threat to its sovereignty.
The dismissal will be seen by his supporters as the result of political pressure after the prosecutor sought arrest warrants for senior Israeli officials for alleged war crimes committed in Gaza. Israel denies war crimes, is not a member of the court and has dismissed the warrants as bogus.
Even if Khan had survived the vote, his position would be weakened, and it would give critics of the court — established in 2002 by the international community to prosecute war crimes, genocide and crimes against humanity — another stick to beat it with.
Rubio decries 'lunatics' at the court
During a visit to the Philippines on Thursday, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said there were "lunatics and crazies involved in the ICC", and there was no way any US political or military officials would ever go on trial at the court, reiterating previous criticism.
SECRETARY RUBIO: "We have lunatics and crazies involved in the ICC." pic.twitter.com/S79rQS5Psv
— Department of State (@StateDept) July 23, 2026
The US, which is also not a member, has already imposed sanctions on 11 ICC judges and prosecutors, including Khan, citing the ICC's arrest warrants against Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former defence minister Yoav Gallant, and a past probe into US troops in Afghanistan.
Officials from the court's governing body have said Khan should be dismissed because he committed serious misconduct by having an inappropriate sexual relationship with a junior staff member, according to documents seen by Reuters.
For Khan to be fired, an absolute majority of at least 63 of the court's 125 member states had to agree in the secret ballot.
France said on Thursday it would vote in favour of the removal of Khan, who has been suspended since June, after being on voluntary leave since May 2025 while awaiting the outcome of the internal investigation.
French Foreign Ministry spokesperson: France will vote on Friday in favor of removing Karim Khan from his position as Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court (ICC). Khan is currently under investigation over allegations of sexual misconduct involving a senior aide in his… pic.twitter.com/YGeJVW9znZ
— ilana israelov (@izrailov94) July 23, 2026
READ: International Criminal Court members to vote on firing prosecutor Khan over alleged misconduct
The Netherlands, which hosts the court in The Hague, and longtime ICC supporter Norway have also said they would support his dismissal.
Election process begins
Khan's accuser, a junior ICC staffer, spoke publicly for the first time last week in an interview with CNN in which she repeated her allegations that the prosecutor had a non-consensual sexual relationship with her.
Lawyers for Khan told Reuters he denied "any sexual relationship of any kind" with the staff member.
Khan's firing immediately triggers the election process for a new ICC prosecutor who is not expected to be voted in before next year.
Any active ICC warrants will remain in place even if Khan is dismissed because only ICC judges have the authority to withdraw warrants.