International Criminal Court chief prosecutor Karim Khan speaks at a press conference during his first official visit to Canada on Parliament Hill, in Ottawa, on May 5, 2023. The Canadian Press/Spencer Colby
Ottawa says it supports the decision by International Criminal Court members to oust prosecutor Karim Khan, but won’t say whether Canada voted.
Global Affairs Canada says it supports the outcome of last Friday’s vote, in which 82 of the global court’s 125 voting members opted to oust Khan, who rejects allegations of sexual harassment.
The Israeli government has claimed that Khan sought to rush an arrest warrant against Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for war crimes, to distract from Khan’s allegations, which officials have denied.
International law experts such as Kenneth Roth have said the warrant remains in place and was issued through an independent process involving multiple officials.
The Netherlands and France have said they voted in support of ousting Khan in the vote, which was conducted under secret ballot.
When asked whether Canada voted in support or against removing Khan, Global Affairs Canada said it “supports the outcome” in a statement that didn’t confirm whether or not Ottawa had cast a ballot.
