ICC issues arrest warrants for Taliban leader and chief justice

The International Criminal Court on Tuesday issued arrest warrants for Hibatullah Akhundzada, the Taliban’s supreme leader, and Abdul Hakim Haqqani, the Taliban’s chief justice, citing reasonable grounds to believe they committed crimes against humanity through gender- and politically motivated persecution in Afghanistan.

In a statement released by Pre-Trial Chamber II, the court said the charges relate to actions taken since August 15, 2021 — when the Taliban seized control of Kabul — through at least January 20, 2025. The chamber found that Akhundzada and Haqqani, who have exercised de facto authority during that time, orchestrated and enforced a system of repression that targeted women, girls, and individuals deemed nonconforming with Taliban policies on gender and gender identity.

According to the court, the charges include persecution on gender and political grounds, in violation of Article 7(1)(h) of the Rome Statute, which defines crimes against humanity.

“The Taliban severely deprived, through decrees and edicts, girls and women of the rights to education, privacy and family life, and the freedoms of movement, expression, thought, conscience and religion,” the chamber said, adding that other individuals were also targeted for their perceived support of women’s rights or for expressing nontraditional gender identities.

The court concluded that the Taliban’s policies constituted a broad governmental effort to suppress civilian populations through murder, torture, rape, imprisonment and enforced disappearances. While some restrictions applied to the population as a whole, the court emphasized that girls and women were “specifically targeted by reason of their gender.”

The warrants, though issued, remain formally sealed to protect victims and witnesses. However, the court said it was in the interest of justice to disclose their existence publicly, noting that the crimes described are ongoing and that broader awareness could help deter further violations.

The chamber underscored that gender persecution can take both violent and institutionalized forms, including the imposition of discriminatory societal norms that systemically harm specific groups. It also found that individuals identified as “allies of girls and women,” even if not politically active, were treated as political opponents.

This is the first time the ICC has publicly named Taliban leaders in an active arrest warrant. The announcement comes amid mounting international scrutiny of the Taliban’s policies since returning to power, especially their restrictions on women’s rights, which have drawn widespread condemnation from governments and human rights organizations.

As the court proceeds, it remains unclear whether either Akhundzada or Haqqani will ever be brought to The Hague. Afghanistan is not a state party to the Rome Statute, though the court asserts jurisdiction based on prior acceptance and the nature of the alleged crimes.