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Venezuelan foreign minister Félix Plasencia says the country will withdraw from the International Criminal Court (ICC), citing alleged geographic bias. The ICC says it has not rece
Confirmed
In Short: Venezuela has announced it will withdraw from the International Criminal Court, citing alleged geographic bias, as the court faces political pressure over recent prosecutor dismissals and arrest warrants for Israeli officials.
The International Criminal Court (ICC) is facing significant geopolitical pressure, with Venezuela becoming the latest country to withdraw from the organization, citing concerns over alleged geographic bias. The move comes as the ICC's prosecutor, Karim Khan, was recently removed from his position amid sexual misconduct allegations, a decision that has been described as 'political' by the ICC itself.
The vote to remove Khan was part of a broader backlash against the ICC, which has issued arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his former Defence Minister Yoav Gallant for crimes against humanity. Khan's accuser, Sarah, described instances of inappropriate behavior, including touching and groping, which have fueled calls for his removal.
Norway, which voted to remove Khan, argued that the prosecutor was 'unfit' to serve, while the US has imposed sanctions on 11 ICC judges and prosecutors, including Khan, over arrest warrants against Israeli officials and a past probe into US troops in Afghanistan.
The ICC maintains that the prosecutor's office remains committed to conducting independent and impartial investigations and prosecutions, emphasizing the need for an effective court to deliver justice for victims of international crimes. Despite these assurances, the geopolitical tensions surrounding the court continue to escalate.
Background
The International Criminal Court (ICC) is an intergovernmental organisation and international tribunal seated in The Hague, Netherlands. Established in 2002 under the multilateral Rome Statute, the ICC is the first and only permanent international court with jurisdiction to prosecute individuals for the international crimes of genocide, crimes against humanity, war crimes, and the crime of aggression.
What's confirmed
- The Assembly of States Parties of the International Criminal Court (ICC) has voted to remove prosecutor Karim Khan over sexual misconduct allegations, his legal team has confirmed, suggesting that the move was…
What's still developing
- The vote on Friday came as the ICC faces backlash from the United States and Israel after Khan issued arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his then-Defence Minister Yoav Gallant in 2024.
- Khan’s accuser, named only as Sarah, recently told CNN that Khan had shown escalating behaviour of touching and groping her, recounting a time she said he touched her intimately while she was pretending to be asleep.
- His removal will have no immediate impact on the arrest warrants issued in 2024 for Netanyahu and Gallant for crimes against humanity, which can only be withdrawn by ICC judges.
- “The desperate attempts by Israeli occupation representatives and apologists, linking the vote to remove the Prosecutor of the ICC to the ongoing and independent investigation in the Situation in the State of…
- The ICC said after Khan’s dismissal that the prosecutor’s office “remains committed to conducting independent and impartial investigations and prosecutions across all situations under the Court’s jurisdiction to…
- Norway’s Deputy Foreign Minister Andreas Kravik, whose country voted to remove Khan, said before the session that the prosecutor was “unfit” to serve.
- “The world, and not least the victims of genocide, war crimes and crimes against humanity, needs an International Criminal Court that functions effectively,” he said.
- The US is not a member and has imposed sanctions on 11 ICC judges and prosecutors, including Khan, citing the ICC’s arrest warrants against Netanyahu and Gallant, as well as a past probe into US troops in…