The ICC specifically called out Sheikh Haibatullah Akhundzada, the Taliban's supreme leader, and Abdul Hakim Haqqani, the chief justice, for their roles in enforcing policies that systematically strip women and girls of fundamental freedoms. Restrictions include barring women from public life, limiting their mobility without a male guardian, and prohibiting girls from attending secondary school.
These draconian measures have rendered Afghanistan the most restrictive nation for women, impacting nearly half the population of 41 million people. Experts and rights advocates have characterized these policies as a form of "gender apartheid." The court's statement emphasized that such actions have led to extreme human rights abuses including murder, torture, and forced disappearances, underlining the urgent need for accountability in the international arena.
The developments from the ICC reflect a growing consensus that the Taliban’s treatment of women has reached a critical point requiring international intervention and potential judicial proceedings against those responsible.
These draconian measures have rendered Afghanistan the most restrictive nation for women, impacting nearly half the population of 41 million people. Experts and rights advocates have characterized these policies as a form of "gender apartheid." The court's statement emphasized that such actions have led to extreme human rights abuses including murder, torture, and forced disappearances, underlining the urgent need for accountability in the international arena.
The developments from the ICC reflect a growing consensus that the Taliban’s treatment of women has reached a critical point requiring international intervention and potential judicial proceedings against those responsible.
