Karim Khan is a British lawyer who served as Chief Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court (ICC), the official responsible for overseeing investigations and prosecutions before the court. His office led the ICC’s investigation into former Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte over alleged crimes linked to the drug war.
Before becoming ICC prosecutor, Khan helped prepare an Article 15 communication that urged the court to examine alleged crimes linked to the Philippines. He also conducted investigative work and interacted with individuals who later became witnesses in the current proceedings.
Because of his involvement with Duterte’s victims, the ICC Appeals Chamber ruled that Karim Khan could no longer participate in the case.
Although there was no proof that Khan was actually biased, they found that his earlier role could lead a reasonable observer to question his impartiality. To protect the fairness and credibility of the proceedings, the Appeals Chamber ordered his disqualification from the case.
Khan has been facing separate allegations of sexual misconduct involving a staff member since October 2024. On June 8, 2026, The Bureau of the Assembly of States Parties, who oversees ICC, formally suspended him and referred his case to a special session of all 125 ICC member states, who will vote on whether to remove him from office entirely. At least 63 countries would need to vote in favor to oust him. No date has been set for the session yet.
Khan flatly rejected the suspension, calling it “unlawful, procedurally unfair and unsupported by evidence.” He has consistently maintained that the entire misconduct probe is a politically motivated attack, particularly as this takes place weeks after his pursuit of arrest warrants against Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu, which drew heavy US backlash and made him a target of American sanctions.
His removal from the Duterte case has no impact on the proceedings, as the case is being led by Deputy Prosecutor Mame Mandiaye Niang and is moving forward.
