ICC states approve first-ever removal of chief prosecutor

ICC member states voted on Friday to remove chief prosecutor Karim Khan after allegations of improper conduct, the first such vote in the court’s 24-year history.

Diplomatic sources said 82 of 125 members backed his dismissal in a secret ballot at the United Nations in New York. Thirteen voted against and 15 abstained.

The vote followed a disputed disciplinary process. Critics said the case had become political after a judicial panel reportedly found no proven breach.

Khan is also under US sanctions over ICC investigations in Gaza and Afghanistan. His office sought arrest warrants for Israeli leaders and Hamas officials over alleged war crimes.