ICC Seeks Arrest of Taliban Officials for Gender Persecution

The ICC's chief prosecutor has requested arrest warrants for two top Afghan Taliban officials, citing gender-based persecution as a crime against humanity. This historic move highlights the Taliban's repression of women, as rights groups applaud the potential accountability offered by these arrest warrant applications.

The International Criminal Court's chief prosecutor has called for arrest warrants for two Taliban leaders due to their ongoing repression of women, a decision announced on Thursday.

Karim Khan is seeking warrants for Hibatullah Akhunzada, the group's supreme leader, and Abdul Hakim Haqqani, head of Afghanistan's Supreme Court, accusing them of crimes against humanity tied to gender-based persecution.

Human rights advocates have praised the ICC's decision, highlighting the systematic violation of women's and girls' rights under Taliban rule and the necessary pathway to accountability these warrant requests represent.

(With inputs from agencies.)