Josep Borrell, the former EU foreign policy chief, has denounced the bureau of the International Criminal Court (ICC) for holding a “political vote” to remove Prosecutor Karim Khan instead of upholding judicial findings that cleared him of wrongdoing.

The Assembly of States Parties (ASP) to the Rome Statute, which comprises diplomatic representatives from the court’s 125 member states, is due to vote on Khan’s future at the United Nations headquarters in New York City on 24 July.

This was despite a judicial panel, appointed by the bureau to review the findings of a UN investigation into complaints against Khan, concluding that the evidence against him was insufficient to establish any level of misconduct.