The Hague (TDI): The prosecutor of the International Criminal Court (ICC), Karim Khan, on Thursday, said he has requested arrest warrants against the two Taliban leaders in Afghanistan for the persecutions of women and girls.
The two leaders named in the request are Haibatullah Akhundzada, the Taliban’s supreme spiritual leader, and Abdul Hakim Haqqani, the group’s chief justice since 2021.
Khan’s office said that investigators had found “reasonable grounds” to believe that Akhundzada and Haqqani bear criminal responsibility for the crime against humanity of gender-based persecution.
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Both leaders are implicated in the systemic persecution of Afghan women, girls, and those regarded as allies of women, he said.
This persecution can be tracked back and has continued since the Taliban gained control of Kabul on August 15, 2021.
Since September 2021, the Taliban authorities have placed restrictions on the rights of women, including restrictions on education and work, and on all forms of social interaction.
While the group argued its policies were justified by an interpretation of Islamic Sharia law, Khan maintained that this could never allow the perpetration of gross violations of human rights.
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Khan condemned the ongoing egregious persecution of Afghan women, girls, and the LGBTQI+ community as he characterized it as “unprecedented” and “unconscionable”, adding that his office was committed to pursuing accountability for gender-based crimes.
Khan’s Move Part of ICC War Crimes Probe
Khan’s action is a part of the ICC’s broader investigation of possible war crimes in the country, which began over a decade ago, originally investigating alleged crimes by the US military.
This is the first time ICC prosecutors have sought arrest warrants in relation to the Taliban’s actions since the start of the probe in 2007.
The request will now be reviewed by a three-judge panel at the ICC, although there is no set timeline for a verdict.
Procedures typically take approximately three months.
