International Criminal Court Dismissed Prosecutor Karim Khan.

New York; July 2026: Today (Saturday – 25th July 2026), the International Criminal Court has dismissed its Prosecutor Karim Khan following disciplinary proceedings related to widely reported sexual misconduct allegations at an emergency session at UN Headquarters in New York.

The decision was made by simple majority during a closed-door vote among the 125-member Assembly of States Parties to dismiss Karim Khan, who Member States had elected to serve a nine-year term as the court’s prosecutor in 2021.

“The Assembly has decided by a majority of 82 States Parties that – prosecutor Karim Khan committed serious conduct and a serious breach of duty, and to remove him from office”, the Assembly president announced, calling for the dignity and privacy of all those involved.

The ICC, which has a cooperation agreement with the UN, has issued several high-profile arrest warrants in recent years, including for Russian President Vladimir Putin in 2023 and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in 2024. The ICC Assembly will be assigned with electing a new prosecutor shortly.

On 11th November 2024, the President of the Assembly of States Parties had commented on the investigation into alleged misconduct by an ICC elected official.

“After having consulted the Bureau of the Assembly of States Parties (ASP), I am seeking on behalf of the ASP Presidency an external investigation into the matters related to alleged misconduct by the ICC Prosecutor. The involved parties have been informed.

The Independent Oversight Mechanism (IOM), which exercises full operational independence from the International Criminal Court and reports directly to the ASP, is competent to investigate such allegations. The IOM was seized of the matter on the basis of a third party request and subsequently on the basis of a request by the Prosecutor. However, given the particular circumstances of this case, including the IOM’s victim-centered approach, and perceptions of possible and future conflicts of interest, the IOM has indicated that it has no objection to exceptionally resorting to an external investigation.

An external investigation is therefore being pursued in order to ensure a fully independent, impartial and fair process, in conformity with the legal framework of the ICC and the IOM and following a victim-centered approach. The practical modalities of the investigation are being finalized. I call on all involved parties to cooperate fully with that investigation. 

I must insist on due respect for the privacy and the rights of all involved parties as well as the confidentiality of such an investigation. Further information can only be shared once the investigation has concluded”.

Furthermore, in May 2025, Karim Khan announced a leave of absence pending the OIOS investigation while ICC deputy prosecutors took leadership of the Office of the Prosecutor. Subsequently this year on 09th March, The Presidency of the Assembly of States Parties to the Rome Statute confirmed that the conclusions of the Panel of judicial experts on alleged misconduct by the ICC Prosecutor.

The Panel, established by a decision of the Bureau of the Assembly of States Parties, was mandated to conduct its assessment under the legal framework of the Rome Statute, the Rules of Procedure and Evidence of the Court and relevant administrative instruments. The Panel was further mandated, in assistance of the Bureau, to legally characterize the factual findings, as established in the report of the United Nations Office of Internal Oversight Services (OIOS). It was further stated that the Bureau would convene within 5 working days to start considering the reports of the OIOS and the Panel. Moreover, since these reports are confidential hence, would not be made publicly available. The Presidency of the Assembly continues to call for due respect for the privacy and the rights of all parties concerned, as well as for the integrity of the ongoing process.

In June this year (2026), an assessment of the ICC Bureau of the Assembly was based on the OIOS report, underlying evidence, the advice of the panel of judicial experts and written submissions. At its meeting on 08th June, the Bureau, by qualified majority, referred the disciplinary proceedings to the Assembly, decided to suspend the prosecutor from duty with immediate effect pending a final decision and decided to convene a special session.

Team Maverick.