KABUL, AFGHANISTAN – Human rights organizations, the UN Rapporteur, and women activists have welcomed the arrest warrant application filed by ICC Chief Prosecutor Karim Khan against Taliban leaders.
The ICC prosecutor announced on Thursday that his office has filed applications for arrest warrants against Taliban Supreme Leader Hibatullah Akhundzada and Chief Justice Abdul Hakim Haqqani for their involvement in gender-based persecution in Afghanistan, which constitutes a crime against humanity.
Prosecutor Khan emphasized that the Taliban leadership has orchestrated a widespread campaign of oppression against Afghan women, girls, and LGBTQ+ individuals since their return to power on August 15, 2021.
The request will now be reviewed by a panel of ICC judges. If approved, all member states will be required to cooperate and take action to arrest the accused if they enter these countries.
The ICC’s move has been widely welcomed by human rights groups, the UN Rapporteur, activists, and Afghan women, who consider it a crucial step toward accountability for the ongoing abuses in Afghanistan.
Richard Bennett, UN Special Rapporteur on Human Rights in Afghanistan, described the development as a “crucial step” forward by the ICC in ensuring accountability in Afghanistan.
“Powerful messages – to Taliban leaders that justice will be pursued for their egregious crimes, and to the people of Afghanistan that their rights have not been forgotten,” Bennett wrote on X.
Human Rights Watch (HRW) called it “a milestone in seeking justice for serious abuses against women and girls in Afghanistan.”
“The international crimes committed in Afghanistan are vast, but a broad approach to accountability is needed to break cycles of impunity that have led to more abuses,” said Liz Evenson, International Justice Director at HRW. She urged ICC member countries to support the court’s critical work on its investigation into Afghanistan.
Meanwhile, Rawadari, a UK-based Afghan rights group, welcomed the move, saying that it is a significant step toward ensuring accountability and addressing the deep-rooted impunity in Afghanistan.
“Since Afghanistan joined the Rome Statute in 2003, there have been widespread human rights violations that fall under the ICC’s jurisdiction” Rawadari said in a statement. “We hope sufficient resources will be allocated to the court to expand its Afghanistan investigation and include other perpetrators,” it added.
The Permanent Mission of Afghanistan to the UN called the move “a historic step toward justice,” emphasizing that “the action sends a resounding message to the world: the suffering of Afghan women and girls is not forgotten and their rights and dignity must be upheld.”
Women’s rights movements and female protesters in Afghanistan have also commended the ICC prosecutor’s decision, stressing the need for similar actions against other senior Taliban leaders.
The groups opposing the Taliban, including the NRF and AFF, two armed groups fighting the Taliban in Afghanistan, have also welcomed the ICC’s action, calling for its immediate implementation.
“We call on the international community to support the people of Afghanistan in ending the gender apartheid regime and achieving a legitimate government whose leadership will not bring shame to the global community,” the NRF said in a statement.
The Taliban has yet to comment on the ICC’s request for arrest warrants against its senior leadership.
