ICC issues arrest warrants for Taliban leaders over persecution of women

The International Criminal Court (ICC) has issued arrest warrants for several senior Taliban leaders in Afghanistan, including Supreme Leader Haibatullah Akhundzada and chief justice Abdul Hakim Haqqani, on charges of the crime against humanity of persecution on gender grounds.

In a landmark decision on Tuesday, ICC judges stated there were "reasonable grounds" to suspect Supreme Leader Haibatullah Akhundzada and chief justice Abdul Hakim Haqqani "have committed... the crime against humanity of persecution... on gender grounds."

The court's statement highlighted that while the Taliban have imposed various restrictions on the general population, "they have specifically targeted girls and women by reason of their gender, depriving them of fundamental rights and freedoms."

The court said the alleged crimes had been committed between 15 August 2021, when the Taliban seized power, and continued until at least January 20, 2025.

The Taliban had "severely deprived" girls and women of the rights to education, privacy and family life and the freedoms of movement, expression, thought, conscience and religion, ICC judges said.

"In addition, other persons were targeted because certain expressions of sexuality and/or gender identity were regarded as inconsistent with the Taliban's policy on gender."

The ICC, based in The Hague, was set up to rule on the world's worst crimes, such as war crimes and crimes against humanity.

It has no police force of its own and relies on its member states to carry out its arrest warrants, with mixed results.

In theory, this means that anyone subject to an ICC arrest warrant cannot travel to a member state for fear of being detained.