ICC names two high-ranking Taliban officials in warrants: Afghanistan’s Supreme Leader Hibatullah Akhundzada and regime’s Chief Justice, Abdul Hakim Haqqani
HAGUE: (UrduPoint/Pakistan Point News-July 8th, 2025) The International Criminal Court (ICC) has issued arrest warrants for senior Afghan Taliban leaders, accusing them of committing crimes against humanity through systematic and coercive actions against women.
According to international news agencies, the ICC has named two high-ranking Taliban officials in the warrants: Afghanistan’s Supreme Leader Hibatullah Akhundzada and the regime’s Chief Justice, Abdul Hakim Haqqani.
The court alleges that the Taliban leadership engaged in gender-based persecution and repression since regaining control of Afghanistan in August 2021. The ICC noted that the acts carried out against women, including their exclusion from public life, education, employment, and basic freedoms, constitute crimes against humanity.
In a statement accompanying the arrest warrants, the ICC judge stated, “There is reasonable evidence to believe that the Taliban leaders are responsible for gender-based crimes, which amount to crimes against humanity.”
The charges relate to the Taliban’s widespread and institutionalized restrictions on women’s rights, including banning girls from secondary and higher education, barring women from most jobs, and enforcing strict mobility rules and dress codes.
The human rights organizations have repeatedly condemned the Taliban's treatment of women and girls, urging the international community to hold its leadership accountable. The ICC's move marks a significant step toward international legal action against the regime.
The Taliban has not officially responded to the warrants as of yet.
