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Khan removed amid Gaza warrants
Member states of the International Criminal Court voted to remove chief prosecutor Karim Khan in an emergency session at the United Nations headquarters in New York, with 82 of the court’s 125 member states backing dismissal in a secret ballot.
“In short: The International Criminal Court (ICC) has dismissed prosecutor Karim Khan”
The decision followed a disciplinary process that the ICC’s oversight body said found Khan committed "serious misconduct and serious breach of duty," and it came as the court’s investigation into the war in Gaza remained a central focus.
Khan’s removal was adopted under Article 46 of the Rome Statute, and the ICC said the office of the prosecutor would continue to operate without interruption.
The vote also intersected with the ICC’s arrest warrants issued during Khan’s leadership, including warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former defence minister Yoav Gallant over alleged crimes linked to Gaza.
In the immediate aftermath, the ICC’s Assembly of States Parties president Päivi Kaukoranta said the body concluded Khan had committed "serious misconduct and serious breach of duty," as the court prepared to elect a new prosecutor shortly.
Israel and US reactions diverge
Israel’s Foreign Minister Gideon Saar described Khan’s removal as "long-delayed" and called on the court to drop the arrest warrants "immediately," while reiterating Israel’s claim that the warrants were rushed to distract from sexual misconduct allegations.
Khan’s lawyers said he would challenge the decision through "all available legal mechanisms," and the BBC reported the ICC statement took note of the vote while saying the court would continue to attach "the utmost importance to maintaining a safe, inclusive, and respectful working environment" for personnel.
The removal also unfolded alongside a US campaign to dismantle the ICC, with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio saying the US was launching a "sweeping campaign to dismantle the threat posed by the International Criminal Court to US sovereignty."
The BBC said Khan was barred from entering the United States under sanctions imposed by the Trump administration over the ICC’s investigation into alleged war crimes by Israeli officials in Gaza, and that he was unable to attend the vote.
In a statement after the vote, the ICC said it would continue to attach importance to workplace safety and inclusion, while the Assembly of States Parties urged respect for the dignity and privacy of those involved.
What changes for Gaza cases
The BBC reported that regardless of Khan’s removal, the controversy was unlikely to end there, and it said the decision followed a process that played out alongside an unprecedented campaign to weaken and dismantle the ICC.
“States Parties to the International Criminal Court (ICC) have decided to remove from office the Prosecutor General Karim Khan”
The ABC News & Headlines report said Khan’s removal will have no immediate impact on the arrest warrants in 2024 for Netanyahu and Yoav Gallant for crimes against humanity, which can only be withdrawn by ICC judges.
The UN News account said arrest warrants remain in force for life unless judges decide otherwise, and it described the ICC as a court of last resort that relies on state cooperation rather than having police power or a standing army.
Middle East Eye reported that Khan’s departure prompted questions about whether it would affect the fate of the Palestine investigation, while the ICC’s office of the prosecutor said its work would continue without interruption.
As the court moves toward selecting a successor, the Assembly of States Parties is expected to begin procedures soon to elect a new prosecutor, with the Deputy Prosecutors Nuzhat Shamin Khan and Mami Mandiai Niang leading the office in the interim.
