Member states of the International Criminal Court on Friday voted to dismiss Karim Khan as prosecutor following allegations of 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. Mr Khan denies the allegations.
Mr Khan's defenders had sought to portray the vote as procedurally flawed and heavily politicised amid pressure from the Trump administration.
Washington imposed sanctions against the British KC after his decision in November 2024 to seek arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former defence minister Yoav Gallant.
"No one can act with impunity," Mr Khan said in a video announcing the warrants for alleged war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza. The warrants, which ICC judges confirmed later that year, caused pushback not only from Israel and the US but also from some ICC member states such as Italy and Hungary.
Washington has since imposed sanctions on 11 court officials, including Khan, and on several non-governmental organisations working with the court on the Gaza case.
Amid the pressure on the court and Mr Khan over the decision to seek arrest warrants, news broke in October 2024 that a junior lawyer in Mr Khan's had accused him of sexual misconduct alleged sexual misconduct by him. He was suspended in June.
In a message published on X on Tuesday, Mr Khan's lawyer, Tayab Ali, said his client had been barred from attending the voting session.
“What we are witnessing is the powerful few, disappointed by the impartiality of the judges they appointed, now seeking to shape the process that they hope will deliver the desired outcome,” Mr Ali said.
