Overview
- Member states held a secret Assembly vote that removed Karim Khan by a large majority, with 82 of the court’s 125 members backing the decision in New York on Friday.
- The Assembly’s action follows internal and UN oversight inquiries, including a UN OIOS probe that produced thousands of pages of evidence and an executive oversight finding of a “serious breach of duty and serious misconduct.”
- Khan denies the allegations and his lawyers say they will challenge the lawfulness and fairness of the dismissal through available legal mechanisms.
- The prosecutor’s office is being run by two deputy prosecutors and the court’s judges retain sole authority over existing arrest warrants, so current judicial orders remain in force unless judges decide otherwise.
- The ouster has deepened political strain on the ICC, prompted at least one announced withdrawal and drawn praise from some governments and criticism from others as the court confronts questions about governance, credibility and external pressure.