Diplomats from around the world are set to meet at UN headquarters in New York on Friday to decide whether to permanently remove the embattled prosecutor of the International Criminal Court from office.

Karim Khan, a British lawyer, faces accusations of sexual misconduct against one of his assistants, according to the Associated Press, allegations he has consistently and vehemently denied.

The saga has lasted more than two years and has had profound repercussions on the international court, which already faces immense pressure.

Earlier this month, the United States, which has long criticized the court, announced a campaign aimed at dismantling the 24-year-old institution.

According to documents reviewed by the Associated Press, Khan, 56, was formally relieved of his duties at the ICC in June after the executive board of the court's oversight body concluded he had committed 'a serious breach of duty and serious misconduct' by engaging in a 'sexual relationship that escalated over time' and attempting to prevent the woman from pursuing her allegations. Khan denies those findings.

His fate now rests in the hands of the 125 member states of the court's oversight body, the Assembly of States Parties, which is holding a special session in New York.

The session will conclude with a vote requiring a majority to approve his removal. Khan will not attend the closed session, as he is barred from entering the United States after the administration of U.S. President Donald Trump imposed sanctions on him over the court's investigation into Israeli officials regarding the conduct of the Israeli military during the war in Gaza.

Khan faces this vote while being barred from practicing law in his home country, the United Kingdom, after the Bar Standards Board suspended his practice pending its own investigation into the allegations against him.

The outcome of the secret ballot remains unclear. Dutch Foreign Minister Tom Berendsen said in a letter to parliament that his country, the host nation of the court, would vote in favor of his removal. The Netherlands is the only country to have publicly stated its position so far.

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