Boomerang of justice: the chief prosecutor of the ICC was removed from office

The chief prosecutor of the International Criminal Court (ICC), Karim Khan, lost his post after the participating states of the court supported his removal amid an investigation into allegations of sexual harassment. He became the first head of the ICC Prosecutor's Office to be removed since its creation in 2002. At the same time, the warrants previously issued at his request remain in force. The reasons for Khan's removal, the course of the investigation and the consequences of this decision are described in the Izvestia article.

Why did the ICC dismiss the prosecutor

The Assembly of States Parties to the International Criminal Court (ICC) has dismissed Chief Prosecutor Karim Khan, who is being investigated over allegations of sexual harassment.

The decision was made at a special session of the Assembly held at the UN headquarters in New York. According to diplomatic sources, the voting took place in secret. 82 out of 125 ICC member states voted for Khan's removal. 13 countries opposed it, and 15 more abstained.

According to the Rome Statute, the removal of the Chief Prosecutor from office requires an absolute majority of the votes of the States parties to the court, that is, at least 63. Thus, the decision was made with a significant excess of the required threshold.

Karim Khan became the first chief prosecutor in the history of the International Criminal Court to be removed from office since the ICC began its work in 2002.

Accusations against Karim Khan

The investigation into Karim Khan began after one of the employees of the International Criminal Court, who worked as his direct assistant, accused the chief prosecutor of sexual harassment.

According to foreign media reports, the woman appearing in the case file under the name Sarah stated that Khan had repeatedly committed sexual acts against her without her consent. Following the appearance of these allegations, an internal investigation was initiated at the ICC.

Karim Khan himself has categorically denied the charges against him. Through his lawyers, he stated that there had been "no sexual contact between him and the employee, either by mutual consent or without it." At the same time, the prosecutor insisted that the charges were not related to his professional activities and had no basis.

How did the case of Karim Khan develop?

Karim Khan was at the center of an investigation in 2024 after allegations of sexual harassment were made against him. Against the background of the proceedings, in May 2025, the Chief Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court voluntarily went on vacation, temporarily ceasing to perform his duties.

In March 2026, an independent panel of three judges appointed by the ICC reviewed the results of the investigation and concluded that an audit conducted by the United Nations Office of Internal Oversight Services (OIOS) had not revealed any facts of Karim Khan abusing his powers or improperly performing his official duties.

Despite this, the Bureau of the Assembly of States Parties to the ICC continued disciplinary proceedings. In June, the court's executive body, consisting of 21 representatives of the participating States, examined the OIOS materials, the conclusion of an independent group of lawyers and written evidence. Following the review, the Bureau concluded that Khan had committed "serious abuse of official authority" and suspended him from his duties.

The Bureau then scheduled a special session of the Assembly of States Parties to the ICC for July 24, during which all 125 States were to decide on the future status of the Chief Prosecutor. Following a secret ballot, the majority of participants supported his removal from office.

Karim Khan's defense called the decision illegal. The lawyers stated that their client was not given the opportunity to speak in his defense and receive accreditation to participate in the meeting. In their opinion, the procedure was conducted in violation of the principles of fair trial and without sufficient evidence.

Karim Khan was elected Chief Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court in February 2021, receiving 72 votes in the second round of elections. He assumed his duties on June 16, 2021, becoming the third chief prosecutor in the court's history.

After the decision on the removal takes effect, the International Criminal Court should begin the procedure for electing a new chief Prosecutor.

Karim Khan's actions against Russia

During his tenure as the ICC's Chief Prosecutor, Karim Khan has repeatedly initiated legal proceedings related to the conflict in Ukraine. The most high-profile of these were the investigation of alleged war crimes and the issuance of arrest warrants for a number of Russian officials. The Russian authorities have repeatedly stated that they do not recognize the jurisdiction of the ICC, and consider the court's decisions to be illegal and politically motivated.

At the end of February 2022, a few days after the start of the special military operation, Khan announced the start of an official investigation into the situation in Ukraine. According to him, the ICC Prosecutor's office had "reasonable grounds" to believe that war crimes and crimes against humanity could have been committed on the territory of the country.

In March 2023, at the request of the ICC Prosecutor's Office, the Pre-Trial Chamber issued arrest warrants for Maria Lvova-Belova, the Presidential Commissioner for Children's Rights. The charges were based on false allegations of "illegal deportation" and the transfer of children from the territory of Ukraine. The Russian side rejected these accusations, saying that it was about the evacuation of minors from the war zone.

In 2024, the prosecutor's office, led by Khan, secured the issuance of new arrest warrants for Russian military leaders. In particular, they were issued against former Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu, Chief of the General Staff Valery Gerasimov, as well as a number of representatives of the supreme military command. The charges related to alleged attacks on Ukraine's energy infrastructure.

Commenting on the investigation, Karim Khan has repeatedly stated that the norms of international law should apply to all States without exception and that the status of state leaders cannot serve as a basis for exoneration from responsibility. In turn, Moscow has consistently rejected the prosecutor's position and stated that the ICC's actions have no legal force for Russia, since the country is not a party to the Rome Statute.

Russia's reaction to the ICC decisions

Russia does not recognize the jurisdiction of the International Criminal Court because it is not a party to the Rome Statute. The Russian authorities have repeatedly stated that they consider the decisions of the ICC to have no legal force on the territory of the country.

After issuing arrest warrants for Russian officials, the Investigative Committee of Russia opened a criminal case against Karim Khan and the ICC judges. They were accused of bringing an obviously innocent person to criminal responsibility, as well as of preparing an attack on internationally protected persons.

Later, the Russian Ministry of Internal Affairs put Karim Khan on the wanted list. In December 2025, a Russian court sentenced him in absentia to 15 years in prison, finding him guilty of unlawful criminal prosecution of Russian citizens.

At the same time, the decision of the Assembly of States Parties to the International Criminal Court to dismiss Karim Khan from office does not affect previously adopted judicial acts. The arrest warrants issued at the request of the ICC Prosecutor's Office remain in force and remain legally binding within the framework of the court's legal system.