The decision was made by simple majority during a closed-door vote among the 125-member Assembly of States Parties to dismiss Mr. Khan, who Member States had elected to serve a nine-year term as the court’s prosecutor in 2021.
“The Assembly has decided by a majority of 82 States Parties that…prosecutor Karim Kahn committed serious conduct and a serious breach of duty…and to remove [him] from office,” the Assembly president announced, calling for the dignity and privacy of all those involved.
The ICC, which has a cooperation agreement with the UN, has issued several high-profile arrest warrants in recent years, including for Russian President Vladimir Putin in 2023 and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in 2024.
The ICC Assembly will be charged with electing a new prosecutor shortly.
Watch the ICC oversight body’s announcement here:
Convictions and limitations
Since its creation in 2002 by the landmark Rome Statute, the ICC has set international standards for adjudicating the world’s gravest crimes, with seven convictions and a current docket of 34 cases.
The court cannot make arrests without State support, in particular that of its 125 members.
Not all nations have joined, including Israel and the United States, both of which signed the Rome Statute in 2000, but have yet to ratify it.
In 2025, Washington imposed sanctions on nine ICC personnel, including judges, the prosecutor and deputy prosecutors, in connection with investigations of alleged war crimes against Israel and the United States.
Timeline of misconduct allegations
Misconduct allegations were made against Mr. Khan in 2024.
- In November 2024, the ICC requested an external investigation by the UN Office of Internal Oversight Services (OIOS)
- In May 2025, Mr. Khan announced a leave of absence pending the OIOS investigation while ICC deputy prosecutors took leadership of the Office of the Prosecutor
- In March 2026, the Assembly received conclusions from a panel of judicial experts
- In June, an assessment of the ICC Bureau of the Assembly was based on the OIOS report, underlying evidence, the advice of the panel of judicial experts and written submissions
- At its meeting on 8 June, the Bureau, by qualified majority, referred the disciplinary proceedings to the Assembly, decided to suspend the prosecutor from duty with immediate effect pending a final decision and decided to convene a special session
What is the ICC?
The ICC is a criminal court that can bring cases against individuals for war crimes or crimes against humanity.
Created with the “millions of children, women and men” in mind who “have been victims of unimaginable atrocities that deeply shock the conscience of humanity”, the world’s first permanent, treaty-based international criminal court to investigate and prosecute perpetrators of crimes against humanity, war crimes, genocide and the crime of aggression.
The court does not replace national courts. It is a court of last resort. States have the primary responsibility to investigate, try and punish the perpetrators of the most serious crimes.
Read our full explainer here.
