ICC Targets Taliban Leaders for Crimes Against Humanity

The ICC prosecutor has sought arrest warrants for Taliban leaders Haibatullah Akhundzada and Abdul Hakim Haqqani, accusing them of gender-based crimes against humanity. The charges relate to ongoing persecution of women and girls since the Taliban's 2021 rise to power.

The International Criminal Court (ICC) prosecutor, on Thursday, announced a significant step in international justice by seeking arrest warrants for several Taliban leaders in Afghanistan. Among those named is the supreme spiritual leader, Haibatullah Akhundzada, accused of committing crimes against humanity, particularly concerning women and girls.

The prosecutor, Karim Khan, confirmed that extensive investigations have provided reasonable grounds to believe that Akhundzada and Abdul Hakim Haqqani, the chief justice since 2021, are criminally responsible for gender-based persecution. The charges highlight systemic discrimination against Afghan women and girls, perceived ideological non-conformists, and allies of women, as perpetrated by the Taliban regime.

This request for arrest warrants follows one of the ICC's longest and most challenged probes. Initially launched in 2007, the investigation faced numerous delays but escalated after the Taliban's return to power in 2021, marked by severe restrictions on women's rights in Afghanistan.

(With inputs from agencies.)