ICC prosecutor seeks arrest warrants for two Taliban leaders over persecution of women
The International Criminal Court prosecutor said he had applied for arrest warrants for two Taliban leaders in Afghanistan over the persecution of women and girls.
THE HAGUE — The International Criminal Court prosecutor said Thursday he had applied for arrest warrants for two Taliban leaders in Afghanistan including supreme spiritual leader Haibatullah Akhundzada, accusing them of the persecution of women and girls.
A statement issued by the office of chief Prosecutor Karim Khan said investigators found reasonable grounds to believe that Akhundzada and Abdul Hakim Haqqani, who has served as chief justice since 2021, “bear criminal responsibility for the crime against humanity of persecution on gender grounds.”
They are “criminally responsible for persecuting Afghan girls and women ... and persons whom the Taliban perceived as allies of girls and women,” the statement said.
Taliban supreme spiritual leader Haibatullah Akhundzada.via ReutersPersecution has taken place across Afghanistan from at least Aug. 15, 2021 — the day that Taliban forces captured the capital, Kabul — to the present day, the prosecutor said.
Since the Islamist group returned to power in 2021 it has clamped down on women’s rights, including limits to schooling, work and general independence in daily life.
Rating: 5