History Made at The Hague: ICC Judges Oust Their Own Prosecutor for the First Time Ever

The International Criminal Court has done something it has never done before. On Friday, the member states of the ICC voted to remove their own chief prosecutor from office. Karim Khan is out. The charges: sexual harassment and serious ethical breaches. His response: denial, denial, denial.

This is uncharted territory for the ICC. In its more than two decades of existence, no prosecutor has ever been dismissed. Khan, who was temporarily suspended in June pending an investigation into the allegations, has now been permanently removed. The internal probe that led to his downfall found that he had committed "serious violations" of professional conduct. According to documents seen by the Associated Press, Khan was in a sexual relationship with a woman who later filed a complaint against him. He is also alleged to have pressured her to drop the case.

Khan has consistently rejected these findings. He denies any wrongdoing. But the member states were not convinced. The vote to remove him marks a stunning fall for a man who once stood as one of the most powerful figures in international justice.

The timing of his ouster is curious. The ICC has been under relentless pressure from the Trump administration, which has imposed sanctions on the court and its staff. The sanctions were a direct response to the ICC's decision to issue arrest warrants for senior Israeli officials, including Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, over the war in Gaza, and for its investigations into US military personnel in Afghanistan.

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio last week announced a "large-scale campaign to eliminate the threat that the International Criminal Court poses to US sovereignty." Washington's strategy includes pushing states to withdraw from the ICC, imposing sanctions on organizations that cooperate with the court, and banning ICC staff from entering the United States.

Khan's removal will not affect the arrest warrants already issued. Whether those warrants remain valid is a decision for the judges alone. But the symbolism is unmistakable. The first prosecutor to be removed from office is leaving at a moment when the court's very existence is being challenged by the world's most powerful nation.

For now, the ICC is searching for a new chief prosecutor. The US is tightening the screws. And Karim Khan, who once pursued justice for victims of atrocities, is now fighting to clear his own name. The court that judges others has been forced to judge itself. And for the first time, it has delivered a verdict of its own.

Written by Sandy van Dongen sandy.vandongen@alpineweekly.com