ICC Issues Arrest Warrants for Taliban Leaders
The International Criminal Court (ICC) has issued arrest warrants for two senior Taliban leaders, accusing them of crimes against humanity for systematically persecuting women, girls, and others who defied the group’s strict gender policies.
Leaders Named in Warrants
The warrants name Haibatullah Akhundzada, the Taliban’s Supreme Leader, and Abdul Hakim Haqqani, the regime’s Chief Justice.
Grounds for the Arrest Warrants
According to a statement from the ICC’s Pre-Trial Chamber II, there are “reasonable grounds to believe” that both men were responsible for ordering, inducing, or soliciting crimes of persecution on gender and political grounds. These crimes are alleged to have taken place across Afghanistan from August 15, 2021, when the Taliban seized power, through at least January 20, 2025.
Systematic Deprivation of Rights
“While the Taliban have imposed certain rules and prohibitions on the population as a whole, they have specifically targeted girls and women by reason of their gender, depriving them of fundamental rights and freedoms,” the Chamber said. The ICC detailed a broad and ongoing pattern of repression.
Ongoing Repression
The court also highlighted abuses against those perceived to be “allies of girls and women,” as well as individuals whose gender identity or sexual expression diverged from Taliban norms.