ICC Issues Arrest Warrants for Taliban Leaders Over Women Persecution

ICC Issues Arrest Warrants for Taliban Leaders Over Women Persecution
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The International Criminal Court (ICC) has issued arrest warrants for two senior Taliban leaders, accusing them of crimes against humanity for persecuting women and girls in Afghanistan. In a statement Tuesday, the ICC said Haibatullah Akhundzada, the Taliban’s supreme leader, and Abdul Hakim Haqqani, its chief justice, are “criminally responsible” for ordering or inciting the systemic persecution of females and others who do not conform to the Taliban’s gender policies since the group seized power on August 15, 2021.

Since regaining control, the Taliban has imposed sweeping restrictions on women’s rights, including banning girls from attending school beyond sixth grade, enforcing strict dress codes, limiting freedom of movement, and silencing women’s voices in public spaces. The Taliban dismissed the ICC’s action as “nonsense,” insisting it does not recognize the court’s jurisdiction and accusing it of hostility toward Islam.

The warrants come a day after the UN General Assembly adopted a resolution expressing grave concern about Afghanistan’s worsening human rights situation and urging the Taliban to reverse its policies. Rights groups welcomed the ICC’s move as an important step toward accountability. Amnesty International described it as “crucial,” while Human Rights Watch said it could offer victims and families a path to justice.