ICC Chief Prosecutor Karim Khan has been suspended over sexual harassment allegations.

The members of the International Criminal Court (ICC) voted to remove Karim Khan as Chief Prosecutor following allegations of sexual harassment. He denies all allegations.

Karim Khan, elected as the ICC’s Chief Prosecutor in 2021, was suspended last month. The decision to remove him was made by 82 votes.

In June, the court’s supervisory body found Khan to have committed “serious dereliction of duty and serious misconduct.” He was accused of repeatedly harassing an ICC employee over a prolonged period and attempting to prevent her from filing a complaint.

Khan has repeatedly denied any wrongdoing. His lawyers call the decision “unlawful, procedurally unfair, and unsupported by evidence.”

“The evidence establishes beyond a reasonable doubt that the prosecutor (…) engaged in sexual relations with (the victim),” a copy of the June 8 ruling, cited by Reuters, reads. The relationship began in March 2023 and escalated over time, with sexual relations being unacceptable given the power imbalance.

The 27-page document, provided to Reuters by two independent sources, states that Khan committed serious dereliction of duty and serious misconduct. According to the findings cited in the document, his behavior escalated over time, culminating in non-consensual sexual contact with the victim in his office, at his private residence, and during field missions.

The charges against Khan and the court’s findings have exacerbated a protracted crisis at the war crimes court, which is also under US sanctions due to investigations into the United States and Israel.

Khan’s supporters have suggested that he became a political target because of arrest warrants issued in 2024 against Israeli officials in connection with Israel’s actions in the Gaza war.