The International Criminal Court (ICC) on Tuesday issued arrest warrants for two senior Taliban figures in Afghanistan, including the group’s supreme spiritual leader, Haibatullah Akhundzada. The court accused them of committing crimes against humanity through the systematic persecution of women and girls.
According to the ICC, there are reasonable grounds to believe that Akhundzada and Abdul Hakim Haqqani, the Taliban’s Chief Justice, are responsible for gender-based persecution. This includes actions targeting girls, women, and individuals whose gender identity or expression does not conform to the Taliban’s policies.
“Although certain rules and restrictions have been imposed on the broader population, the Taliban have specifically targeted girls and women based solely on their gender, denying them fundamental rights and freedoms,” the court said.
The alleged crimes occurred from August 15, 2021, when the Taliban took control of Afghanistan, and continued until at least January 20, 2025.
ICC judges stated that the Taliban “severely deprived” women and girls of the right to education, privacy, and family life, as well as freedoms of movement, expression, thought, conscience, and religion.
The court further noted that individuals were also persecuted for expressions of sexuality or gender identity deemed incompatible with the Taliban’s gender policies.
