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International Criminal Court (ICC) member states are set to vote on Friday on whether to dismiss the court's chief prosecutor, Karim Khan, over allegations of sexual misconduct. Khan, 56, denies any wrongdoing, with his lawyers calling the decision by the court's governing body that led to the vote unlawful, procedurally unfair, and unsupported by evidence. The vote comes at a time when the US has ramped up its attacks on the court, which Washington sees as a threat to its sovereignty.

Coverage comparison

The vote, scheduled to take place via secret ballot at a meeting at UN headquarters in New York, is the culmination of a more than two-year saga that has put the tribunal under pressure. For Khan to be removed, an absolute majority of at least 63 of the court's 125 member states must agree. The vote is due around 3pm local time (19:00 GMT), with the result expected to be announced at 5:30pm (21:30 GMT). If Khan is dismissed, it would immediately trigger the election process for a new prosecutor, who is not expected to be voted in before next year.

The ICC has suspended Khan from his official duties pending the vote. That decision was made based on a UN investigative report, the advice of an ad hoc panel of judicial experts, and written submissions, according to the ICC's oversight body.

The vote lays bare internal divisions among the court's governing bodies and its member states. While officials from the court's governing body said Khan should be dismissed because he committed serious misconduct, according to documents seen by Reuters, it remains unclear if member states will follow that recommendation. Al Jazeera's explanatory coverage notes that the case against Khan has become entwined with the ICC's investigation into Israel's war crimes in Gaza, with Khan's supporters likely to see any dismissal as the result of political pressure after the prosecutor sought arrest warrants for senior Israeli officials.

Key claims

  • Khan faces removal over allegations of sexual misconduct made by a junior colleague who worked as his direct assistant. He denies any wrongdoing, with his lawyers denying "any sexual relationship of any kind" with the accuser.
  • Khan's accuser, identified only as Sarah, spoke publicly for the first time last week in an interview with CNN, repeating her allegations that the prosecutor had a non-consensual sexual relationship with her. "There is no way for something to be consensual when you have such a power disparity," she told CNN. She also recounted escalating behaviour of touching and groping, including an incident where she said he touched her intimately while she pretended to be asleep.
  • The removal process requires a secret ballot of ICC member states, with at least 63 of the 125 member states needed for dismissal.
  • The US has imposed sanctions on 11 ICC judges and prosecutors, including Khan, and has said no diplomatic options are off the table in its campaign against the court. During a visit to the Philippines on Thursday, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said there were "lunatics and crazies involved in the ICC" and reiterated that no US political or military officials would ever go on trial at the court.
  • France and the Netherlands have announced their support for Khan's removal, according to reports.
Even if Khan survives the vote, his position would be weakened, and it would give critics of the court, established in 2002 by the international community to prosecute war crimes, genocide, and crimes against humanity, another reason to attack it, as reported by Reuters via the Jerusalem Post.

Perspectives

  • Khan's defense: Khan denies any wrongdoing. His lawyers have called the decision by the court's governing body unlawful, procedurally unfair, and unsupported by evidence, and have denied "any sexual relationship of any kind" with the accuser.
  • The accuser: Khan's accuser, a junior ICC staffer named Sarah, says the relationship was non-consensual, citing a power disparity. She has spoken publicly for the first time in an interview with CNN.
  • Supporters of removal: France and the Netherlands have announced they will vote in favor of Khan's removal. The ICC's governing body has recommended dismissal, citing serious misconduct.
  • US officials: US Secretary of State Marco Rubio has criticized the ICC, calling those involved "lunatics and crazies" and vowing that no US officials would face trial at the court. The US has imposed sanctions on ICC officials and launched a diplomatic campaign against the court.