ICC unseals arrest warrants for four Taliban leaders — The Hindu

In The Hague, Netherlands, the International Criminal Court has unsealed arrest warrants for four senior Taliban officials. The court said it suspects them of the crime against humanity of gender persecution of women, girls and members of the LGBTQI+ community in Afghanistan after the movement returned to power in 2021, The Hindu reports.

Who the warrants concern

According to the court, the warrants were issued in July and September last year. They concern Taliban supreme leader Hibatullah Akhundzada, Afghanistan’s Supreme Court chief Abdul Hakim Haqqani, Education Minister Habibullah Agha and Higher Education Minister Neda Mohammad Nadeem.

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Restrictions on women’s rights

After the Taliban returned to power, women in Afghanistan were banned from working, visiting most public places and receiving education after the sixth grade.

The prospect of the suspects’ arrest is remote, the publication notes: the Taliban controls Afghanistan, and the ICC does not have its own police force to enforce the warrants.