Member states of the International Criminal Court (ICC) are set to vote Friday on whether to remove the court’s chief prosecutor, Karim Khan, following sexual misconduct allegations against him.
The vote will take place during a special session of the Assembly of States Parties (ASP), the ICC’s governing body, at UN headquarters in New York.
The 125 member states will decide by secret ballot, with an absolute majority of at least 63 votes required to remove Khan from office.
In May 2024, Khan’s office requested arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, then-Defense Minister Yoav Gallant and Hamas leaders over alleged war crimes and crimes against humanity linked to the Gaza war.
The ICC later issued warrants for Netanyahu, Gallant and Hamas military commander Mohammed Deif. The move drew fierce condemnation from Israel and the US, culminating in US sanctions targeting several ICC officials, including Khan.
A 56-year-old British barrister, Khan was suspended last month by the ASP’s 21-member bureau following a UN-led investigation into allegations that he sexually harassed a female staff member who served as his aide. Khan has denied the allegations.
He stepped back from his duties in May 2025 pending the outcome of the inquiry, which was launched the previous year.
Khan will not attend the session in person. He has been barred from entering the US after being sanctioned by the administration of President Donald Trump over the ICC’s investigation against Israeli officials in connection with the Gaza war.
Lawyers representing Khan have said he has not been granted accreditation to attend the session or to formally respond to the allegations before the vote.
If removed, Khan’s departure would trigger a process to elect a new ICC prosecutor, a process not expected to conclude before next year. Any arrest warrants issued during his tenure, including one for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, would remain in force, as only ICC judges have the authority to withdraw them.
The vote marks the first time in the court’s 24-year history that member states have been asked to decide on removing a sitting chief prosecutor.
