ICC Issues Arrest Warrants for Taliban Leader Hibatullah Akhundzada

ICC Issues Arrest Warrants for Taliban Leader Hibatullah Akhundzada

The International Criminal Court (ICC) has issued arrest warrants for Taliban leader Hibatullah Akhundzada and the group’s chief justice, Abdul Hakim Haqqani, on charges of committing crimes against humanity through the systematic persecution of women and girls in Afghanistan.

In a statement, the Court said that Pre-Trial Chamber II found reasonable grounds to believe that Akhundzada and Haqqani were directly involved—either by ordering, encouraging, or supporting—policies that systematically targeted women and girls based on gender. The charges also extend to individuals perceived as allies of women and girls or those opposing the Taliban’s views on gender identity and expression.

The ICC noted that since the Taliban assumed control of Afghanistan in August 2021 until January 2025, the group implemented policies that led to the widespread denial of fundamental rights for women and girls, including the right to education, freedom of movement, and freedom of expression.

According to the Court’s assessment, gender-based persecution is not limited to acts of direct violence but also encompasses systemic and institutionalized forms of harm, including the imposition of discriminatory societal norms that reinforce marginalization.

In response, the Taliban rejected the allegations and stated that it does not recognize the jurisdiction of the International Criminal Court. The group described the arrest warrants as a “clear act of hostility” and an “insult to the beliefs of Muslims worldwide.”