ICC Prosecutor Karim Khan [Reuters=Yonhap News File Photo]

Karim Khan, the Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court (ICC) who had been suspended due to allegations of sexual misconduct, has officially been dismissed.

According to foreign media outlets including AP and AFP, Prosecutor Khan was removed from his position on the 24th (local time) following a vote at the ICC Assembly of States Parties held at the UN headquarters in New York.

During the closed-door meeting, 82 out of the 125 states parties to the Rome Statute voted in favor of his dismissal, concluding that Prosecutor Khan had committed serious misconduct.

Only 13 countries voted for his retention, while 15 countries abstained. Some nations did not participate in the vote.

Prosecutor Khan had been accused of inappropriate sexual contact with a female staff member from another department after reassigning her to his office and accompanying her on official business trips.

The victim previously stated in an interview with CNN and other outlets that Khan's physical advances became increasingly bold, eventually leading to assault. She argued that in situations with "a significant power imbalance" like the one between herself and the Prosecutor, "no relationship can be consensual."

Prosecutor Khan began a leave of absence in May last year when the internal investigation into the matter commenced.

However, subsequent to his leave, an additional complaint was filed regarding the sexual harassment of a female intern in 2009, when Khan was working as a lawyer in the UK. Following the discovery of evidence confirming inappropriate behavior, his duties were suspended last month.

Prosecutor Khan's legal team stated that they "will utilize all available legal avenues to challenge the legitimacy and fairness" of this decision.

The ICC is a permanent court established to prosecute individuals who have committed serious crimes under international law, such as genocide, war crimes, and crimes against humanity.

Khan, a British international criminal law expert, gained international attention for his active involvement in major global conflicts since taking office as the ICC Prosecutor.

He requested an arrest warrant for Russian President Vladimir Putin regarding the invasion of Ukraine and also secured an arrest warrant for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in connection with the war in Gaza.

Following those actions, Prosecutor Khan was targeted by U.S. sanctions over the issue of the arrest warrant for Prime Minister Netanyahu.

Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa'ar even claimed that the arrest warrant requested by Prosecutor Khan was "an action taken to distract from his own misconduct."