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Member state representatives of the International Criminal Court (ICC) voted to remove the global tribunal’s chief prosecutor on Friday, nearly two years after sexual misconduct allegations against him first emerged, two diplomats have confirmed.British barrister Karim Khan was accused of sexual misconduct with a female aide, allegations he has steadfastly denied.By a large majority, the ICC’s 125-member states ousted Khan from his position, the first time a chief prosecutor has ever been removed from office.The lengthy and complicated process pitted human rights advocates, staff and member states against one another at a time when the court is already facing daunting challenges, including a campaign by the US to “dismantle” the ICC, which was established to prosecute people responsible for humanity’s worst crimes.The 56-year-old Khan was formally removed from his duties at the ICC in June after a report by the executive committee of the court’s oversight body found he had committed “serious misconduct”.According to documents seen by The Associated Press, Khan engaged in a sexual relationship with the woman and tried to prevent her from pursuing her allegations. Khan disputes those findings.Early in Friday’s session, a motion brought by Sierre Leone that would have made it harder to oust Khan failed, and diplomats quickly moved forward to a vote on removal, several hours ahead of schedule, according to three diplomatic sources who were familiar with the proceedings.“We believe it has been proven beyond reasonable doubt that his conduct constituted sexual harassment and abuse of power,” Norway’s deputy foreign minister, Andreas Motzfeldt Kravik, said in a statement to the AP.Päivi Kaukoranta, president of the Assembly of State Parties, said earlier at the public opening of the meeting that the vote would be in private to “address a complex and sensitive disciplinary matter as part of this governance and oversight role of the International Criminal Court”.A divided court faces an uncertain future“There has been splintering over how the court has handled this,” Lucy Gaynor, a historian of international criminal tribunals at the University of Amsterdam, said. Groups that support the court’s work have taken diverging positions. Last week, a group of Palestinian organisations issued a public letter, accusing the executive committee of “unwarranted political interference” and said it lacks “the independence, impartiality or legal expertise to make assessments”.In June, the International Federation for Human Rights, Redress and Women’s Initiatives for Gender Justice with others said that the victim has been “publicly questioned, instrumentalised, and too readily dismissed as part of a political agenda”.Staff members are also wary of the future. A group within the prosecutor’s office sent a letter to the oversight body expressing serious concerns about Khan’s potential return, writing that his “leadership has been materially diminished”.Prominent international figures have also been voicing their views. In an opinion piece in Project Syndicate, former EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell said the allegations were a plot against the court.“Khan’s enemies have managed to start a debate about his potential removal, with allegations of sexual misconduct serving as the tip of the spear,” the Spanish diplomat wrote.Kenneth Roth, the former executive director of Human Rights Watch, has taken an entirely different stance, writing on social media that Khan “clearly does not” have “the moral authority and credibility to continue serving as prosecutor”.Khan himself has given a series of interviews denying the allegations and arguing they are part of a conspiracy against him for his investigation into Israeli officials. In an interview with CNN last week, the female staffer strenuously denied this. A UN investigation report seen by the AP said that “multiple credible witnesses dismissed the notion that she was a spy”.AP
