KABUL (Pajhwok): Member states of the International Criminal Court (ICC) have voted to remove prosecutor Karim Khan from office over allegations of serious misconduct, the court said on Friday.
The Assembly of States Parties, the ICC’s governing body, voted by a large majority to approve the dismissal after an executive bureau recommended his removal last month, Reuters reported.
ICC President Paivi Kaukoranta said 82 of the court’s 125 member states voted that Khan had committed “serious misconduct” and a “serious breach of duty” and decided to remove him from office.
Khan, 56, has denied any wrongdoing. His lawyer, Tayab Ali, said the prosecutor would challenge the decision through available legal channels.
The dismissal immediately begins the process of selecting a new ICC prosecutor, who is not expected to be elected before next year.
The move comes amid growing criticism of the court, including from the United States, which has announced a renewed campaign against the ICC, accusing it of threatening US sovereignty.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said during a visit to the Philippines on Thursday that no US political or military officials would face trial at the court, repeating Washington’s longstanding criticism of the ICC.
US State Department spokesperson Tommy Pigott welcomed Khan’s removal but said it would not change Washington’s plans to dismantle what he described as a “corrupt institution.”
The United States is not a member of the ICC and has imposed sanctions on 11 ICC judges and prosecutors, including Khan, over the court’s arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former defence minister Yoav Gallant, as well as a previous investigation into alleged actions by US forces in Afghanistan.
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