Khaberni - International arbitrator and lawyer Omar Al-Jazi said that the decision of the Assembly of States Parties in the International Criminal Court to exempt Prosecutor Karim Khan from his post sends a "serious message" that approaching or condemning Israel may have consequences, considering it a "sad day" if the main motive behind the decision was political.
During his appearance on the "Kingdom" channel, Al-Jazi added that any new prosecutor who replaces Khan and pursues the Israeli case "will pay the price", referring to the pressures that he said surrounded the court's work during the past period.
He explained that Khan's exemption is legally and procedurally based on the provisions of the Rome Statute, which allows for the removal of the Prosecutor if serious misconduct is proven, but he emphasized that "the political dimension in terms of the atmosphere, timing, and manner of utilizing the decision" cannot be ruled out.
Al-Jazi affirmed that the exemption of the Prosecutor does not affect the arrest warrants that were previously issued by the court, including the arrest warrant against Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, adding that these warrants "remain as evidence that Palestinian blood has entered the records of international justice."
He noted that this incident represents a precedent in the history of the International Criminal Court, as it is the first time that a prosecutor has been exempted through a disciplinary path since the establishment of the court.
Al-Jazi considered that the case came amidst "the fiercest campaign of pressures" to which the court has been subjected since its establishment, pointing out that these pressures escalated following the issuance of arrest warrants related to the Israeli file.
He added that Khan denies all allegations against him, and his lawyers affirm that the proceedings leading to the vote on his exemption are "illegal and procedurally unfair and do not have sufficient evidence."
The Assembly of States Parties in the International Criminal Court decided, on Friday, to dismiss Karim Khan from his duties on the basis of allegations of sexual misconduct towards a member of his team, widely refuted by Khan.
Following the decision, Khan's lawyer, Tayeb Ali, announced that his client would challenge the legality of the decision, confirming in a post on the platform "X" that he would resort to "all judicial mechanisms available" to challenge the decision and seek justice.
The Assembly of States Parties in the International Criminal Court voted on Friday to exempt Prosecutor Karim Khan from his position after 82 out of 110 members supported his dismissal, as reported by the site "Axios".
The decision comes against the backdrop of allegations of sexual misconduct denied by Khan, who stepped down temporarily from his duties in May 2025 before being suspended from work in June by a decision of the office members pending the completion of procedures.
Khan has always denied all the allegations against him, and his lawyers have asserted that the removal procedures are "illegal and procedurally unfair and not based on sufficient evidence", announcing their intention to challenge the decision before specialized judicial mechanisms.
Khan is the Prosecutor who requested the issuance of two arrest warrants against Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant on charges related to committing war crimes and crimes against humanity in the Gaza Strip.
"Axios" quoted an Israeli official saying that the Israeli Foreign Minister and Israeli embassies around the world worked to gather as many votes as possible to support the decision to exempt Khan, at a time when the court faced pressures and criticisms from Israel and the United States over the past few months regarding the pursuit of Israeli officials.
