How was the Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court, who requested Netanyahu's arrest, isolated?
Eighty-two member states of the International Criminal Court (ICC) voted in favor of removing ICC Prosecutor Karim Khan, against the backdrop of allegations that he engaged in “inappropriate sexual conduct.” This number of votes is sufficient to approve his removal, as the decision requires an absolute majority of member states, meaning at least 63 out of 125. The vote on his removal took place in a secret ballot during a meeting of the Assembly of States Parties at the United Nations headquarters in New York.
In his first response to the decision, Karim Khan’s lawyer announced via the X platform that his client “will challenge the legality of the decision” and will seek redress through all available legal avenues. The vote comes amid allegations that Khan, who assumed office in 2021, committed “inappropriate sexual conduct,” although observers argued that the decision resulted from American and Israeli pressure, following the ICC’s issuance of arrest warrants against prominent Israeli officials: Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, for investigation into alleged war crimes in the Gaza Strip.
In this context, Axios reporter cited an Israeli official stating that Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar and Israeli diplomatic missions worldwide had intensified their contacts in recent days to mobilize as many countries as possible to vote in favor of removing Karim Khan, or at least to abstain from voting.
The removal of Khan also follows the United States’ announcement that it will launch a new diplomatic campaign to dismantle the International Criminal Court, which it claims poses a threat to its sovereignty. The United States, which is not a member of the Court, had previously imposed sanctions on 11 judges and prosecutors of the ICC, including Karim Khan, following the Court’s issuance of arrest warrants against the Israeli Prime Minister and former Defense Minister.
Documents reviewed by Reuters showed that officials in the Court’s administrative body recommended dismissing Khan, considering that he violated professional conduct rules by engaging in “an inappropriate sexual relationship with a junior employee.” Karim Khan completely denies any wrongdoing, while his lawyers described the administrative body’s decision, which led to the vote, as illegal and procedurally unfair, lacking evidentiary support.
Tel Aviv welcomed the removal of ICC Prosecutor Karim Khan and sought to leverage the decision to challenge the arrest warrants issued against Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant. This stance by Israel comes despite the fact that the warrants were issued by the ICC’s First Pre-Trial Division by judicial decision, and the removal of the Prosecutor does not automatically invalidate them, as only ICC judges have the authority to withdraw them.
