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International Criminal Court Targets Taliban Leadership
The International Criminal Court (ICC) in The Hague has issued arrest warrants for two senior Taliban officials over systematic persecution of women and girls in Afghanistan. The warrants target Haibatullah Akhundzada, the Taliban's supreme leader, and Abdul Hakim Haqqani, their chief justice.
Crimes Against Humanity Charges
The court found reasonable grounds to believe both leaders ordered crimes against humanity through gender-based persecution. Their policies specifically target girls, women, and LGBTQ+ individuals who don't conform to Taliban ideology. The charges also include persecution of women's rights advocates.
Systematic Oppression Documented
According to ICC evidence, Taliban rule involves murder, imprisonment, torture, rape, and enforced disappearances targeting women. The regime has systematically denied education beyond primary level, restricted freedom of movement, and eliminated privacy rights. Their 2024 'Virtue Law' formalized prohibitions against women singing in public or leaving home without male guardians.
International Legal Actions
This development strengthens a separate case brought by the Netherlands, Germany, Canada, and Australia at the International Court of Justice in September 2024. Experts note the warrants serve as symbolic condemnation despite low arrest probability, as both leaders remain in Afghanistan where the ICC lacks enforcement power.
