The International Criminal Court has issued warrants for the arrest of Taliban leaders, citing severe restrictions on women's rights in Afghanistan as evidence of crimes against humanity.
ICC Issues Arrest Warrants for Taliban Leaders Over Women's Rights Violations
ICC Issues Arrest Warrants for Taliban Leaders Over Women's Rights Violations
The International Criminal Court has sought the arrest of Afghanistan’s Taliban leaders in connection to crimes against women.
In a significant legal move, the International Criminal Court (ICC) has issued arrest warrants for key figures in Afghanistan's Taliban government, namely Sheikh Haibatullah Akhundzada, the supreme leader, and Abdul Hakim Haqqani, the chief justice. This decision stems from the enforcement of stringent restrictions against women and girls in Afghanistan, which the court describes as indicative of crimes against humanity. The ICC claims that the Taliban has actively targeted women, stripping them of their fundamental rights and freedoms since taking power in 2021, leading to an environment that has effectively erased women from public life.
Since the Taliban's return to power, the regime has imposed severe limitations on women's activities, prohibiting them from speaking publicly, working in most sectors, or visiting public places, including parks and gyms. Additionally, women face strict travel restrictions that require a male relative's accompaniment for long distances, alongside mandates to be covered from head to toe when outdoors. Educational limitations have also been placed on girls, barring school attendance beyond sixth grade, thereby making Afghanistan the world's most restrictive nation for women.
Experts have described these actions as a form of "gender apartheid," highlighting the profound impact of these policies on the country's female population, which comprises roughly half of Afghanistan's 41 million residents. The ICC emphasized that the Taliban's practices have resulted in serious human rights violations, leading to incidents of murder, imprisonment, torture, and forced disappearances, as judges detail the far-reaching consequences of the government's stance on women's rights.
Since the Taliban's return to power, the regime has imposed severe limitations on women's activities, prohibiting them from speaking publicly, working in most sectors, or visiting public places, including parks and gyms. Additionally, women face strict travel restrictions that require a male relative's accompaniment for long distances, alongside mandates to be covered from head to toe when outdoors. Educational limitations have also been placed on girls, barring school attendance beyond sixth grade, thereby making Afghanistan the world's most restrictive nation for women.
Experts have described these actions as a form of "gender apartheid," highlighting the profound impact of these policies on the country's female population, which comprises roughly half of Afghanistan's 41 million residents. The ICC emphasized that the Taliban's practices have resulted in serious human rights violations, leading to incidents of murder, imprisonment, torture, and forced disappearances, as judges detail the far-reaching consequences of the government's stance on women's rights.
