The International Criminal Court has officially removed Chief Prosecutor Karim Khan from office after the court’s governing body found him guilty of serious misconduct involving allegations of sexual abuse.
During a special session at the United Nations Headquarters in New York, an absolute majority of 82 members of the Assembly of States Parties to the Rome Statute voted to oust the British prosecutor.
This marks the first time in the court’s history that a sitting ICC prosecutor has been removed from office.
The ruling concludes a protracted, two-year disciplinary saga centered on serious workplace misconduct and allegations of coercive sexual behavior involving a subordinate staff member.
The dismissal came as the ICC faces backlash from the United States and Israel after Khan issued arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his former defense minister Yoav Gallant in 2024, prompting Khan’s defense lawyers to suggest the vote was political.
What does this mean for Duterte’s case?
Legal experts have clarified that Khan’s removal will not affect the ongoing crimes against humanity case against former president Rodrigo Duterte.
The ICC has officially scheduled Duterte’s trial to begin on Nov. 30 in The Hague, Netherlands. He faces three counts of crimes against humanity in connection to his brutal drug war.
Khan had already recused himself and was officially disqualified from handling the Duterte case back in 2025.
This decision was made to avoid any conflict of interest, as he had previous professional associations related to the victims of the Philippine anti-drug campaign before taking on his role as chief prosecutor.
Because of this prior disqualification, the ICC’s deputy prosecutors have long been the ones overseeing the investigation and legal proceedings regarding the Duterte case, ensuring that the trial moves forward without disruption.
Why was Karim Khan fired?
The controversy began in 2024 when a female staff member accused Khan of coercive and non-consensual sexual behavior.
While Khan repeatedly denied the allegations, claiming they were part of a plot to discredit him due to his high-profile warrants against other global leaders, internal investigations and an absolute majority vote by ICC member states ultimately led to his permanent dismissal.
His defense team asserted that the removal decision was “unsupported by any lawful or properly reasoned finding” and pointed to the heavy geopolitical pressures facing the court.
The dismissal unfolds as the ICC navigates mounting external hostility, notably from the United States over separate arrest warrants involving Middle Eastern leaders, as well as broader questions surrounding institutional continuity.
With Khan permanently unseated, the ICC’s 125 member states will eventually elect a new permanent successor.
In the interim, the deputy prosecutors will continue running the office, ensuring that pending international inquiries, including the landmark proceedings originating from Manila, proceed under the existing framework of the Office of the Prosecutor.
