Member states of the International Criminal Court (ICC) have voted to dismiss Prosecutor Karim Khan, according to diplomatic sources. A majority of the court’s 125 member states reportedly favored his removal late on Friday, following allegations of sexual misconduct that first emerged nearly two years ago.

The ICC prosecutor's team insists the vote is a politicized reaction to Khan's pursuit of an arrest warrant against Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Khan was also responsible for issuing warrants for other top Israeli officials concerning the war in Gaza and for initiating investigations into United States personnel in Afghanistan.

These actions had already drawn significant pressure on the ICC. The Trump administration previously imposed sanctions on Khan and other ICC staff, and declared its intention to "destroy the ICC." Khan, a 56-year-old barrister, was accused by a former assistant, identified only as Sarah, of sexually harassing her with escalating behavior, including unwanted touching.

Khan has denied all allegations of wrongdoing. His legal team has characterized the process leading to the vote as unlawful, procedurally unfair, and lacking sufficient evidence. The ICC had previously suspended Khan from his official duties, a decision informed by a United Nations investigative report, the recommendations of an ad hoc panel of judicial experts, and written submissions, according to the court's oversight body.

Khan's tenure included leading probes into multiple conflicts, but his 2024 decision to seek arrest warrants for Israeli leaders, including Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and then-Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, generated intense backlash from various governments and advocacy groups. Josep Borrell, former EU chief diplomat, suggested in an editorial that the case against Khan was "obviously part of a larger offensive against the ICC."

The dismissal of Khan triggers an election process for a new ICC prosecutor, though a vote is not anticipated before next year. However, his removal will not immediately affect the arrest warrants issued in 2024 for Netanyahu and Gallant for alleged crimes against humanity, as only ICC judges have the authority to withdraw them.

The allegations against Khan surfaced after he took office, and the subsequent investigations and vote have cast a shadow over the ICC's operations and its perceived independence. The court's mandate relies on its ability to prosecute international crimes impartially, making the internal proceedings against its chief prosecutor a significant development.

Questions remain regarding the full scope of the evidence considered by the ad hoc panel and the UN report, as well as the precise procedural steps that will follow Khan's dismissal. The international community will be closely watching the process to elect his successor and the future direction of the ICC's investigations.