ICC arrest warrants for Taliban leaders over alleged persecution of women

Judges astatine the International Criminal Court (ICC) person issued apprehension warrants for 2 apical Taliban leaders connected charges of persecuting women and girls.

ICC judges connected Tuesday said determination were “reasonable grounds” to fishy Taliban Supreme Leader Hibatullah Akhundzada and main justness Abdul Hakim Haqqani of committing gender-based persecution.

“While the Taliban person imposed definite rules and prohibitions connected the colonisation arsenic a whole, they person specifically targeted girls and women by crushed of their gender, depriving them of cardinal rights and freedoms,” the tribunal said successful a statement.

The Taliban had “severely deprived” girls and women of the rights to education, privateness and household beingness and the freedoms of movement, expression, thought, conscience and religion, ICC judges said.

“In addition, different persons were targeted due to the fact that definite expressions of sexuality and/or sex individuality were regarded arsenic inconsistent with the Taliban’s argumentation connected gender.”

The tribunal said the alleged crimes had been committed betwixt August 15, 2021, erstwhile the Taliban seized power, and continued until astatine slightest January 20, 2025.

The ICC, based successful The Hague, was acceptable up to regularisation connected the world’s worst crimes, specified arsenic warfare crimes and crimes against humanity. It has nary constabulary unit of its ain and relies connected subordinate states to transportation retired its apprehension warrants – with mixed results.

In theory, this means anyone taxable to an ICC apprehension warrant cannot question to a subordinate authorities for fearfulness of being detained.