ICC Prosecutor Ousted Amid Scandal

Members of the International Criminal Court (ICC) have voted to remove chief prosecutor Karim Khan following allegations of sexual misconduct, including claims that he had an improper relationship with a junior staff member and tried to prevent her from pursuing a complaint. Khan, who has repeatedly denied all allegations, had already been suspended and was on voluntary leave while multiple investigations were conducted. The ICC’s oversight body previously found in June that he had committed a serious breach of duty and serious misconduct, and a later wider inquiry by the UN’s Office of Internal Oversight Services generated extensive evidence that was reviewed by judges before the vote. The decision to dismiss Khan was passed by 82 votes at a special session of the Assembly of States Parties, the ICC’s 125 member states. The court said it would continue to prioritize a safe and respectful workplace, but the article emphasizes that the case goes far beyond one individual and could affect the credibility and functioning of the world’s only permanent war-crimes tribunal. The controversy has unfolded amid intense political pressure on the ICC, particularly from the United States, which sanctioned Khan after he sought arrest warrants for Israeli officials over the war in Gaza. The article says the US has escalated efforts to undermine the court more broadly, adding to divisions inside the institution and fears among supporters that the ICC could emerge weakened in the face of global threats. Khan’s lawyer says he will challenge the removal, but it is unclear what legal options remain.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said he plans to attend the UN General Assembly in New York City this autumn, even after New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani previously threatened to arrest him over an International Criminal Court warrant. In a Fox News interview, Netanyahu dismissed the threat and accused Mamdani of “fomenting hate,” arguing that the mayor should represent all New Yorkers rather than inflame divisions. Netanyahu cited recent stabbings in New York, saying Jewish New Yorkers were now afraid, and noted that both victims survived and that the suspect has been charged with hate crimes. The article also reviews the political dispute behind Mamdani’s earlier pledge: during his campaign, he strongly criticized Israel’s war in Gaza, called Netanyahu a war criminal, and promised to enforce the ICC arrest warrant. Mamdani later backed away from that pledge, saying the city lacked legal authority to carry it out and urging the federal government to arrest Netanyahu instead. The piece places the exchange in the broader context of the war in Gaza, including the October 7, 2023 Hamas-led attack, Israel’s military response, and the rising death toll reported by Gaza’s health ministry. Overall, the article focuses on a high-profile clash between an Israeli leader and New York City’s mayor over Israel, Gaza, the ICC, and political rhetoric around security and hate.

The article reports that Karim Khan, the International Criminal Court’s chief prosecutor, has been removed from office after member states voted to oust him over sexual misconduct allegations involving a junior female staffer. The dismissal is described as the first time in ICC history that a sitting chief prosecutor has been removed. Khan has denied wrongdoing and his legal team says the process was flawed and unsupported by evidence. The piece places Khan’s removal in a broader political context, noting that he became highly controversial after seeking ICC arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant over Israel’s war in Gaza. Those warrants drew condemnation from Israel and the United States and became a flashpoint in New York politics after Mayor Zohran Mamdani repeatedly cited them during his campaign promise to arrest Netanyahu if he came to New York. Mamdani later acknowledged the city does not have authority to enforce such a warrant. The article also says Khan’s removal followed a long internal process: he stepped aside in May 2025 during a U.N. oversight probe, was suspended in June 2026 pending a final vote, and the court’s oversight body reportedly found he had committed serious misconduct. His lawyers dispute that characterization, arguing that the U.N. report found no misconduct and that a three-judge panel previously determined the facts did not establish a breach of duty. The article ends by emphasizing that Khan plans to challenge the decision.