Karim Ahmad Khan has been voted to dismiss him as chief prosecutor for alleged sexual misconduct by members of the International Criminal Court (ICC).
His suspension in June 2026 over his allegations has drawn a dramatic fall for a man whose career has been spent on the bars of justice. His removal was passed with 82 votes.
Khan has denied all the allegations against him, with his lawyer stating he will challenge “the lawfulness and fairness of the decision through all available legal mechanisms.”
Born in Edinburgh in 1970, Khan rose through the ranks of international law, serving at the tribunals for Rwanda and Yugoslavia before becoming a defense lawyer for figures like of former Liberian President Charles Taylor and Kenya’s President William Ruto.
His reputation as a sharp legal mind and a bold risk taker made him both admired and feared in global courtrooms.
Fear among its supporters in the court emerging weakened and less able to face global threats. He remains suspended from practicing law in the UK, after the Bar Standards Board imposed an interim ban while it conducts its own inquiry.
In 2025, the United States imposed sanctions on Khan for seeking arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Russian President Vladimir Putin for the deportation of Ukrainian children and former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant over alleged crimes linked to the war in Gaza.
His suspension have raised questions whether the ICC can maintain credibility when its own leadership is tainted and whether global accountability is possible in where politics often trumps law.
