RASC News Agency: The Office of the Prosecutor at the International Criminal Court (ICC) has formally requested arrest warrants for Hibatullah Akhundzada, the Taliban leader, and Abdul Hakim Haqqani, the Chief Justice of the Taliban’s Supreme Court, on charges of crimes against humanity, including gender-based persecution. These requests, announced on Thursday by ICC Prosecutor Karim Khan, highlight the collaborative efforts of the Afghanistan Special Team and international legal experts in advancing the investigation. The warrants specifically target Akhundzada and Haqqani, accusing them of leading a systematic campaign of repression against women, girls, and members of the LGBTQ+ community. This campaign, which commenced on August 15, 2021, with the Taliban’s return to power, remains ongoing. According to the ICC, Akhundzada and Haqqani bear responsibility for widespread and systemic violations of fundamental human rights as enshrined in international law.
These violations encompass severe restrictions on physical autonomy, freedom of movement, access to education, freedom of expression, and the right to peaceful assembly. The court’s statement emphasized that the Taliban’s actions are marked by egregious acts of violence, including murder, torture, sexual violence, enforced disappearances, and other inhumane measures designed to suppress dissent and impose their extremist ideological interpretations of gender roles. Karim Khan, the ICC prosecutor, remarked, “The evidence irrefutably demonstrates that Afghanistani women, girls, and LGBTQ+ individuals are subjected to an unprecedented and sustained campaign of persecution and abuse.” The arrest warrant requests are substantiated by comprehensive evidence, including witness testimonies, Taliban-issued decrees, forensic analyses, audio-visual documentation, and statements from the accused and other Taliban officials. Gender-related crimes were meticulously examined with the involvement of specialized gender experts.
Mr. Khan further stated, “This case underscores the ICC’s unwavering commitment to holding perpetrators accountable for gender-based crimes. The Taliban’s interpretation of Islamic law cannot and must not be used as a pretext to strip individuals of their fundamental human rights or to commit crimes defined under the Rome Statute.” He also lauded the resilience and courage of Afghanistani survivors and witnesses who contributed to the investigation, as well as the invaluable support provided by Afghanistani civil society and international organizations. “Our actions convey a clear and unambiguous message: the current plight of Afghanistani women and girls is unacceptable. These survivors deserve justice delivered through impartial and lawful proceedings,” Khan asserted. The ICC’s Pre-Trial Chamber II is now tasked with reviewing the evidence to determine whether it meets the threshold for issuing arrest warrants. Should these warrants be approved, the ICC will work in close collaboration with its member states to secure the arrests of Akhundzada and Haqqani.
The prosecutor emphasized that this marks the first request for arrest warrants within the scope of the Afghanistan investigation, with the potential for additional requests against other Taliban leaders. In his closing remarks, Karim Khan declared, “For far too long, Afghanistani victims and survivors have endured profound injustices. Through impartial enforcement of international law, we aim to affirm that all lives hold equal value and that justice will prevail.”
