ICC Prosecutor Calls for Arrest of Taliban Leadership Over Women's Rights Violations

The chief prosecutor of the International Criminal Court, Karim Khan, is seeking arrest warrants for Taliban leaders Sheikh Haibatullah Akhundzada and Abdul Hakim Haqqani for their role in the systemic oppression of Afghan women and girls, labeling it as a crime against humanity.

The chief prosecutor of the International Criminal Court, Karim Khan, announced on Thursday that he has sought arrest warrants for Taliban leadership in Afghanistan, specifically calling out Sheikh Haibatullah Akhundzada and chief justice Abdul Hakim Haqqani. He accuses them of perpetuating "unprecedented" persecution against Afghan women and girls, alongside the LGBTQI+ community, categorizing their actions as crimes against humanity due to "persecution on gender grounds."

In his statement, Khan highlighted the brutal repression faced by those opposing the Taliban rule, which includes "murder, imprisonment, torture, rape and other forms of sexual violence, enforced disappearance and other inhumane acts." Since the U.S. military withdrawal in 2021, the Taliban has imposed stringent laws that curtail women's rights, effectively removing them from both public spaces and employment opportunities.

The regime’s laws have become increasingly stringent, driving women out of public life completely. In 2023, Taliban authorities banned all beauty salons—once vital spaces for women in Afghanistan—and prohibited girls from attending high school and women from pursuing university education, isolating them further within society. A United Nations rapporteur has described these actions as akin to "gender apartheid," prompting many women to flee Afghanistan while others seek ways to escape their restrictive existence under Taliban rule.