Overview
- The Assembly of States Parties voted to remove Karim Khan from the role of chief prosecutor after a secret ballot in New York, with 82 of 125 members supporting his dismissal.
- Khan denies the sexual assault allegations, his lawyers say they will legally challenge the removal, and his team argues the disciplinary process did not protect his right to mount a defense.
- The complaint was made by a subordinate publicly identified as Sarah, who gave a recent interview describing repeated advances and saying the power imbalance made consent impossible.
- The Assembly required a supermajority to fire Khan and reached that threshold during an extraordinary meeting called after he stepped aside in May 2025 and was suspended by the Assembly Bureau last month.
- Khan led high-profile cases that drew strong state reactions, including moves related to Netanyahu and Putin, and his removal raises near-term risks to the court’s reputation and to how sensitive prosecutions will proceed while investigative files remain sealed.