The International Criminal Court (ICC) Prosecutor Karim Khan has filed applications for arrest warrants against two senior Taliban officials, Supreme Leader Haibatullah Akhundzada and Supreme Court Chief Justice Abdul Hakim Haqqani, accusing them of crimes against humanity related to gender-based persecution.
#ICC Prosecutor @KarimKhanQC announces applications for warrants of arrest in the situation in #Afghanistan for the Supreme Leader of the Taliban, Haibatullah Akhundzada, and the Chief Justice of the “Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan”, Abdul Hakim Haqqani.https://t.co/zpCmoBEQvb pic.twitter.com/9FHF0bVqAJ
— Int'l Criminal Court (@IntlCrimCourt) January 23, 2025
The accusations center on systematic oppression and violations of fundamental rights, particularly targeting women and girls, under the Taliban's rule since their return to power in Afghanistan in 2021. These actions, according to Khan, amount to severe deprivations of physical autonomy, freedom of expression, and access to education, contravening international law as defined by the Rome Statute.
“These applications recognize that Afghan women and girls are facing unprecedented, unconscionable, and ongoing persecution by the Taliban,” Khan stated in a press release.
Under Taliban decrees, women have been barred from employment, public spaces, and education beyond age 12. Such policies, Khan emphasized, represent crimes not only against individuals but against humanity, enforced through actions like imprisonment, torture, sexual violence, and other inhumane acts.
This filing marks the ICC’s first arrest warrant applications specifically addressing Afghanistan. The cases are backed by extensive evidence, including expert testimony, forensic analysis, and official Taliban decrees. The investigations were led by the ICC’s Afghanistan team under Deputy Prosecutor Nazhat Shameem Khan and Special Adviser on Gender and Discriminatory Crimes Lisa Davis.
The prosecutor rejected any justification for these acts based on the Taliban’s interpretation of Sharia law.
“Religious or legal frameworks cannot excuse violations of fundamental human rights,” Khan declared.
In his statement, Khan commended Afghan victims and witnesses for their courage in cooperating with the ICC’s investigations. He reaffirmed the court’s commitment to justice, noting,
“We remain unwavering in our commitment to ensure that they are not forgotten, and to demonstrate through our work that all lives have equal value.”
Afghan civil society and international partners were also acknowledged for their support in advancing these investigations.
The ICC’s Pre-Trial Chamber will now assess whether the applications establish reasonable grounds to issue the arrest warrants. If approved, the court will coordinate with its Registrar to facilitate the arrests.
Further applications targeting other senior Taliban leaders are expected, according to Khan. He emphasized the urgency of holding perpetrators accountable, stating,
“Afghan victims and survivors have suffered injustice for too long.”
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