The International Criminal Court in The Hague has issued arrest warrants for two leaders of the Taliban movement in Afghanistan. The International Criminal Court (ICC) has determined that there are “reasonable grounds” to believe that Supreme Leader Haibatullah Akhundzada and Chief Justice Abdul Hakim Haqqani committed crimes against humanity by imposing strict restrictions on women […]
The International Criminal Court in The Hague has issued arrest warrants for two leaders of the Taliban movement in Afghanistan.
The International Criminal Court (ICC) has determined that there are “reasonable grounds” to believe that Supreme Leader Haibatullah Akhundzada and Chief Justice Abdul Hakim Haqqani committed crimes against humanity by imposing strict restrictions on women and girls.
The ICC accuses them of violating the human rights of women and girls.
The ICC concluded that the Taliban implemented state policies that led to gross violations of the fundamental rights and freedoms of the civilian population in Afghanistan, particularly targeting girls and women based on their gender, depriving them of basic rights and freedoms. Specifically, through decrees and regulations, the Taliban severely restricted the rights to education, privacy, family life, as well as freedoms of movement, expression, thought, conscience, and religion for girls and women.
The Taliban government called the ICC’s decision “politically motivated and unfounded.” In response to the ruling, Taliban representatives stated that their policies align with Islamic values and the national culture of Afghanistan, and that the court ignores the crimes of foreign forces during the occupation.
International human rights organizations, including Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch, called the ICC’s decision an important step towards ensuring justice for Afghan women and girls. They urged ICC member states to cooperate in executing the arrest warrants.