Member states of the International Criminal Court voted to dismiss prosecutor Karim Khan for serious misconduct, the ICC said on Friday.

Diplomats running ‌the executive bureau of the court’s governing body said last month the British barrister had an inappropriate sexual relationship with a junior ICC lawyer and should be fired, documents seen by Reuters showed. On Friday, a large majority of the ICC’s 125 member states voted to follow that recommendation.

“The assembly decided by a majority of 82 states parties that the elected official, prosecutor, Karim Khan, committed serious misconduct and a serious breach of duty … and to remove … Karim Khan from office,” the president of the court’s governing body, Paivi ⁠Kaukoranta, said.

Khan, 56, denies any wrongdoing.

“Mr Khan will challenge the lawfulness and fairness of the decision through all available legal mechanisms,” his lawyer, Tayab ‌Ali, said after the vote.

Khan’s dismissal immediately triggers the election process for a new ICC prosecutor who is not expected to be voted in before next year.