The International Criminal Court (ICC) has issued arrest warrants for Haibatullah Akhundzada, the Supreme Leader of the Taliban and Abdul Hakim Haqqani, the Taliban’s Chief Justice. The Hague-based court announced the warrants on Tuesday, linking them to the ongoing situation in Afghanistan, where both individuals have effectively held power since August 15, 2021.
According to Pre-Trial Chamber II of the ICC, there are “sufficient grounds to believe” that Akhundzada and Haqqani bear responsibility for crimes against humanity stemming from the persecution of individuals based on their gender.
The Chamber has determined that the Taliban implemented governmental policies resulting in severe violations of fundamental rights and freedoms for the civilian population in Afghanistan. Notably, girls and women have been systematically deprived of basic rights due to their gender. These deprivations include, but are not limited to, restrictions on education, limitations on privacy and family life and curtailment of freedom of movement, expression, thought, conscience and religion. Individuals whose sexual orientation or gender identity does not align with Taliban policies have also reportedly faced persecution.
The arrest warrants will remain sealed for the time being to protect victims and witnesses and to safeguard the integrity of the judicial processes. However, the Chamber deemed it appropriate to publicly disclose the existence of the warrants to deter the continuation of these alleged crimes.
