On Monday, the International Criminal Court officially unsealed arrest warrants issued against four senior Taliban figures. The prosecution accuses them of committing the crime against humanity of gender persecution targeting women, girls, and LGBTQ community members within Afghanistan, dating back to the Taliban’s ascent to power in 2021.
A court statement clarified that the warrants were formally issued in July and September of last year, specifically naming Hibatullah Akhundzada, the Taliban’s supreme leader, and Abdul Hakim Haqqani, the head of Afghanistan’s Supreme Court.
The two additional individuals named in the warrants are Education Minister Habibullah Agha and Minister of Higher Education Neda Mohammad Nadim.
Although the existence of the warrants concerning Akhundzada and Haqqani had become public knowledge last year, the documents had remained under seal until this recent announcement.
