How will history judge Karim Khan?
Karim Khan has been removed as the International Criminal Court’s chief prosecutor following a vote by member states over allegations of serious misconduct. His tenure was marked by an expansion of the court's reach into global conflicts, including investigations in Ukraine and Palestine.
Why it matters
The dismissal of a high-profile international prosecutor significantly impacts the future direction and perceived impartiality of the ICC.
Karim Khan leaves office after five years as the International Criminal Court’s chief prosecutor. His dismissal ends one chapter, but debate over his legacy is likely to continue. (EPA Images pic)
KUALA LUMPUR: History has a habit of reducing complicated careers to a single moment.
Karim Khan's moment came on Friday. Eighty-two of the International Criminal Court’s (ICC) 125 member states voted to remove him as chief prosecutor after finding he had committed serious misconduct.
Khan has consistently denied the allegations and says he will challenge the decision through every legal avenue available.
History, however, may remember more than that.
During five years in office, Khan did more than either of his two predecessors to push the ICC beyond the boundaries it had set for itself during its first two decades.
That is the legacy history must now weigh.
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