ICC Member States Remove Chief Prosecutor Karim Khan by Large Majority

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu expressed satisfaction with the outcome of the vote. He stated that Khan had been removed by a large majority of the member states because they had known that he was a "charlatan" ("Hochstapler"). In doing so, Netanyahu also referenced the ongoing ICC investigations against himself and against the former Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant.

Political Reaction from Israel

Khan had obtained arrest warrants against Netanyahu and the then-Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant in 2024. The charges included crimes against humanity and war crimes committed during the Gaza war. The proceedings against the two Israeli politicians were one of the reasons for the political attention the ICC received in recent months.

Khan's removal took place in a formal proceeding before the court's member states. Following his suspension in June, Khan had no longer exercised his office. With the vote in New York, the provisional end of his term of office has now also been institutionally sealed.

It initially remained unclear who would assume the duties of Chief Prosecutor on an interim basis. The ICC, based in The Hague, is sustained by its member states, which also decide on the succession. Until the personnel question is resolved, ongoing proceedings at the court are likely to be continued by deputies.

Consequences for the ICC

The developments surrounding Khan also shed a spotlight on the handling of allegations of sexual assault within international institutions. After the allegations became known, the member states had initiated an investigation and ultimately suspended Khan. With the removal, the disciplinary final verdict has now been pronounced.

From the perspective of the Israeli government, the vote was also politically welcome. Netanyahu had repeatedly rejected the ICC's investigations and called their legitimacy into question. With Khan's departure, a central figure in these proceedings loses his office, even though the arrest warrants against Netanyahu and Gallant are formally unaffected by this.

The reporting on the Khan case had previously shed light both on his investigations against Israeli representatives and on the allegations against his person. Both strands of the issue came together in the New York vote, after which the member states drew a line under the term of office of their Chief Prosecutor.

Outlook on the Succession

With a view to the coming months, the question remains of how the ICC will organize its work without a confirmed Chief Prosecutor. At the same time, the arrest warrants issued in 2024 against Netanyahu and Gallant remain in force as long as they are not expressly lifted. The political significance of the case thus extends beyond Khan as an individual.

In recent years, the member states had repeatedly emphasized that the independence of the court must be preserved. With their current decision, they also sent a signal to future officeholders that personal misconduct does not go without consequences.