The barrister, 56, has denied allegations that he sexually harassed a female aide. His lawyers challenged the process leading to Friday’s vote at a meeting of ICC member states at the United Nations in New York.

According to Kenneth Roth, former executive director of Human Rights Watch, 82 member states voted in favour of Mr Khan’s removal, with 13 opposed and 15 abstaining.

Mr Roth said the ICC needed “a credible prosecutor to fight back” against mounting pressure, including sanctions imposed by the Trump administration, arguing Mr Khan’s position had become untenable.

Appointed chief prosecutor in 2021 with UK backing, Mr Khan led a number of high-profile investigations. Following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, he secured an arrest warrant for President Vladimir Putin. In 2024, he also sought arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, former defence minister Yoav Gallant and Hamas military commander Mohammed Deif over alleged war crimes linked to the Gaza conflict.

The allegations against Mr Khan emerged in 2024. His former aide told CNN that his behaviour escalated after she became his assistant in 2023, alleging he touched and groped her, invited her to take a “nap” with him and entered her hotel room late at night. A UN investigation reportedly found there was a “factual basis” for her claims.

A separate internal ICC inquiry found there was insufficient evidence “beyond reasonable doubt” of “non-consensual sexual conduct”, but reportedly concluded that Mr Khan did not clearly deny a sexual relationship until he believed the complainant lacked evidence to support such claims.

Mr Khan’s lawyers have consistently denied the allegations, stating he had not had “any sexual relationship of any kind” with the woman.

Some observers questioned whether the dismissal reflected political considerations rather than a determination of misconduct, while others said it was necessary to protect the court’s credibility.

Rebecca Hamilton, a law professor at American University, said retaining Mr Khan “would have been a much worse option”, adding that the ICC must now focus on institutional reform and ongoing investigations in Gaza, Ukraine and Sudan.

Mark Kersten, an expert in international criminal justice at the University of the Fraser Valley, said the prosecutor’s removal would not affect existing arrest warrants.

“Putin and Netanyahu were wanted for war crimes yesterday and remain so today – and tomorrow,” he said.

Hours after the vote, Venezuela announced it would withdraw from the ICC, accusing the court of geographic bias. The ICC has been investigating alleged crimes involving members of Venezuela’s armed forces and other officials.