Taliban Leaders Arrest Warrant: The International Criminal Court (ICC) has said to issue arrest warrants against Taliban Supreme Leader Haibatullah Akhundzada and Chief Justice of “Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan” Abdul Hakim Haqqani. ICC Chief Prosecutor Karim A.A. Khan issued a statement in this regard. This warrant has been issued regarding crimes committed against women and girls and cases of sexual harassment in Afghanistan.
According to the ICC, under the leadership of the Taliban, Afghan women and girls have been continuously deprived of human rights since August 15, 2021. The prosecutor says that under Taliban rule, women and girls were deprived of the rights to education, freedom, physical autonomy, and expression.
Along with this, the Taliban also targeted those whom they considered against them. These atrocities include incidents like murder, imprisonment, torture, sexual violence and kidnapping.
Application based on experts and evidence
The ICC said the application is based on extensive evidence, including witness statements, forensic reports, audio-video material and Taliban leaders’ own statements. The investigation team includes gender experts as well as country and mental health experts.
Chief Prosecutor Karim Khan said that ensuring accountability in cases of sexual crimes and harassment is his priority. He praised the extraordinary courage of Afghan women, girls and the LGBTQ+ community who came forward to fight for justice.
Court’s next step
Now the judges of the International Criminal Court will decide whether there are sufficient grounds to issue arrest warrants against these leaders. If warrants are issued, the ICC will seek cooperation from the countries concerned to arrest these individuals.
The prosecutor said that his investigation will continue to restore justice and human rights in Afghanistan. He also said that he is fully committed to providing justice to the Afghan victims.
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