By Yanki Farber
The International Criminal Court (ICC) in The Hague issued arrest warrants today (Tuesday) for two top Taliban officials in Afghanistan: the group’s supreme leader, Haibatullah Akhundzada, and the country’s Chief Justice, Abdul Hakim Haqqani.
Prosecutors at the ICC allege that both men were involved in committing crimes against humanity, particularly in connection with the Taliban’s systematic oppression of women and girls in Afghanistan.
The Court stated that these crimes occurred from August 15, 2021 — when the Taliban seized control of Afghanistan — and continued until at least January 20, 2025.
ICC judges said the Taliban “deprived women and girls of their rights to education and family life, as well as their freedom of movement, expression, thought, conscience, and religion.”
The arrest warrants come just one week after Russia formally recognized the Taliban government in Afghanistan.
