International Criminal Court (ICC) member states will on Friday decide whether Chief Prosecutor Karim Khan should remain in office, in a vote that could reshape the leadership of the global tribunal.
Representatives of the court's 125 member countries will cast secret ballots during a meeting at United Nations (UN) headquarters in New York to determine whether Khan should be removed over allegations of sexual misconduct, which he has consistently denied. His dismissal would require the support of at least 63 member states.
According to Reuters, the vote follows recommendations by officials within the court's governing structures that Khan be removed over what they described as serious misconduct. It remains unclear whether member states will back the recommendation.
Khan has rejected the accusations through his legal team, maintaining that he had no sexual relationship with the complainant and arguing that the process leading to the vote was procedurally flawed.
The woman accusing Khan, an ICC staff member identified publicly only as Sarah, last week repeated her allegations in a televised interview on CNN, claiming the disparity in authority between them meant any relationship could not have been consensual.
The outcome is expected to have significant implications for the court regardless of the result. A vote to remove Khan would trigger the process of selecting a new chief prosecutor, which is not expected to be completed before next year. If he survives the ballot, he is likely to remain in office while continuing to face scrutiny over his leadership.
The vote comes as the court faces renewed pressure from the United States, which has stepped up efforts to challenge the tribunal's authority, describing it as a threat to US sovereignty.
Last week, Washington launched a government-wide campaign aimed at limiting the ability of the ICC to investigate or take action against American officials and military personnel.
The initiative includes plans for diplomatic pressure, possible sanctions and travel restrictions targeting ICC personnel and organisations linked to the court.
According to the US State Department, the measures are intended to prevent what it described as the ICC’s ability to target American officials and servicemen.
The campaign, the Department added, will include efforts to persuade other countries to reject the ICC’s authority over American personnel, particularly nations that cooperate with the US military and law enforcement agencies or benefit from US security assistance.
Actions under consideration include diplomatic engagement with foreign governments, increased scrutiny of countries that continue to support the ICC while relying on US assistance, visa revocations and travel bans for ICC personnel, and additional sanctions against the court and affiliated organisations.
The dispute between Washington and the ICC centres on the court’s jurisdiction. The US has not joined the Rome Statute, the treaty that established the ICC in 2002, and successive US administrations have maintained that the court has no authority to investigate or prosecute American citizens.
The ICC, however, maintains that it can investigate alleged crimes committed in countries that have accepted its jurisdiction, even when the individuals accused are citizens of states that are not members of the court.
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