ICC issues arrest warrants for Taliban leaders over crimes against Afghan women

The International Criminal Court (ICC) on Tuesday issued arrest warrants for senior Taliban leaders over crimes against humanity related to the systemic persecution of women in Afghanistan.

In a statement, ICC judges said there were “reasonable grounds to believe” that Taliban Supreme Leader Haibatullah Akhundzada and the group’s chief justice Abdul Hakim Haqqani were responsible for gender-based persecution.

“While the Taliban have imposed rules affecting the general population, they have specifically targeted women and girls, stripping them of their basic rights and freedoms due to their gender,” the court noted.

The ICC said the alleged offenses began on August 15, 2021 when the Taliban regained control of Afghanistan and have continued through at least January 20, 2025.

According to the court, the Taliban leadership “severely deprived” Afghan women and girls of rights including access to education, family life, privacy, and freedom of movement, expression, thought, conscience, and religion.

The judges added that others were also targeted by the regime based on “certain expressions of sexuality and/or gender identity,” which the Taliban deemed contrary to their gender policies.

Based in The Hague, the ICC prosecutes individuals accused of the most serious crimes under international law, including war crimes, genocide, and crimes against humanity. However, the court does not have its own enforcement body and relies on its 124 member states to execute arrest warrants—often with limited success.

Practically, this means that individuals wanted by the ICC risk arrest if they travel to any member state.