ICC Unseals Arrest Warrants Against Four Taliban Leaders for Gender Persecution

The International Criminal Court on Monday unsealed arrest warrants against four senior Taliban leaders, accusing them of the crime against humanity of gender persecution against women, girls and members of the LGBTQI+ community in Afghanistan since the Taliban seized power in 2021.

The court said in a statement that warrants were issued in July and September last year for the Taliban’s supreme leader, Hibatullah Akhundzada, and the head of Afghanistan’s Supreme Court, Abdul Hakim Haqqani. Also wanted are Education Minister Habibullah Agha and Minister of Higher Education Neda Mohammad Nadim.

The existence of the warrants against Akhundzada and Haqqani was revealed last year but the warrants remained sealed. With the Taliban in control of Afghanistan and the court having no police force to execute warrants, the prospect of any of the suspects being arrested is remote.

Since they took back control of the country, the Taliban have barred women from jobs, most public spaces and education beyond primary school. Last year, Akhundzada banned buildings from having windows looking into places where a woman might sit or stand.