The Chief Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court (ICC), Karim Ahmad Khan, has requested arrest warrants for Taliban leaders in Afghanistan. The official statement, released on Thursday, specifically names Hibatullah Achundsada, the leader of the Taliban, and Abdul Hakim Hakkani, the Supreme Judge of the so-called Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan.
Khan justified his initiative by stating that these individuals are criminally responsible for the crime of persecution against humanity due to gender. He described the persecution as “unprecedented, ruthless, and ongoing” against women, girls, and LGBTQ individuals.
Furthermore, Khan emphasized that not only those who are targeted for their gender, but also those who advocate for women and girls, and all individuals who do not conform to the Taliban’s ideological expectations of gender identity, are being persecuted in Afghanistan.
The Prosecutor’s requests are now being reviewed by the relevant judges of the ICC. If the decision is positive, arrest warrants will be issued. All 125 member states of the Court are required to enforce the warrants and apprehend the individuals if they travel to these countries. Afghanistan ratified the Rome Statute, the contractual basis of the ICC, in 2003.
The Taliban seized power in Afghanistan in 2021. Since then, strict dress codes and behavioral rules have been enforced for women and girls, and they have been denied the right to work and access to education.