The Hague: The International Criminal Court (ICC) has issued arrest warrants for Taliban Supreme Leader Hibatullah Akhundzada and the group’s Chief Justice Abdul Hakim Haqqani on charges of crimes against humanity.
According to reports, the warrants, approved by ICC judges, follow a request by the court’s chief prosecutor and accuse the two senior Taliban figures of orchestrating and enforcing policies that systematically discriminated against women and girls in Afghanistan.
The alleged crimes occurred between August 15, 2021, and January 20, 2025, and include depriving women and girls of fundamental human rights such as education, freedom of movement, expression, thought, religion, and participation in public life.
The court stated that while the Taliban imposed restrictions on much of the population, women and girls were especially targeted solely based on their gender. The ICC also noted that individuals whose gender identity did not align with the Taliban’s rigid interpretation of Islamic law were subjected to persecution.
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The ICC judges ruled that these acts constitute crimes against humanity, particularly for the systematic nature of the abuses and their enforcement over an extended period.
