Karim Khan, the chief prosecutor of the International Criminal Court (ICC), has been removed from his position by the court's member states due to allegations of sexual misconduct. This marks the first time in the ICC's history that a sitting chief prosecutor has been dismissed. Khan's removal comes shortly after he pursued arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant in relation to the war in Gaza.
The decision by the Assembly of States Parties, the ICC's governing body comprising 125 member states, followed disciplinary proceedings tied to allegations involving a junior female staffer in Khan's office. Khan has denied any wrongdoing. His legal team has stated that they will challenge the decision, which they described as legally flawed and unsupported by evidence, arguing that due process concerns were disregarded.
Khan's pursuit of warrants against Netanyahu and Gallant drew strong condemnation from Israel and the United States, neither of which are members of the ICC. The warrants also became a point of contention in New York politics, with Mayor Zohran Mamdani having previously stated he would seek to arrest Netanyahu if the Israeli prime minister visited the city. Mamdani later acknowledged that the city lacks the independent legal authority to enforce such a warrant, calling instead for federal government action.
Israeli officials reacted to Khan's dismissal, with Israeli Ambassador to the United Nations Danny Danon suggesting that Khan's actions against Israel were an attempt to divert attention from his own alleged misconduct. He stated that the international community rejected this attempt.
While Khan's removal stems from allegations of sexual misconduct, the ICC has indicated that his dismissal does not affect the arrest warrants for Netanyahu and Gallant, as these were issued by ICC judges after Khan's request. Khan had previously stepped aside in May 2025 during a U.N. oversight investigation and was suspended in June 2026 pending the final vote.
The ICC, based in The Hague, Netherlands, was established under the Rome Statute to prosecute individuals accused of genocide, war crimes, crimes against humanity, and the crime of aggression when national courts are unable or unwilling to act.