UN International Criminal Court Prosecutor Seeks Arrest Warrant for Taliban Leader Over Persecution of Women

Chief Prosecutor of the United Nations International Criminal Court announced on Thursday He is looking for an arrest warrant for the two senior leaders Afghanistan’s ruling Taliban regime For crimes against humanity against the group Treatment of women and girls.

Prosecutor Karim Khan said after a thorough investigation and review of evidence, his office found “reason to believe” that senior Taliban leader Haibatullah Akundzada and the group’s chief judge, Abdul Hakim Haqqani, are criminally responsible for the crimes against humanity. Foundations,” according to the founding agreement of the ICC Treaty of Rome.

Khan’s office said both men are criminally responsible for the persecution of Afghan girls and women, as well as those who they feel do not conform to the Taliban’s ideological expectations of gender identity or expression, and those who the Taliban perceive as their allies. Girls and women.”

The statement said the alleged crimes were committed “at least” across the country “to date” since the Taliban retook control of Afghanistan in August 2021.

“Contrary to international law, this ongoing persecution results in the denial of victims’ basic rights, including the right to physical integrity and autonomy, freedom of movement and expression, access to education, private and family life, and the right to free assembly.” said Khan.

There was no immediate response from the Taliban leadership to Khan’s request.

Since Regain control of AfghanistanThe Taliban has enacted a long list of laws targeting women and girls. The measures saw women pushed out of public life and condemned by much of the international community, including accusations of gender-based apartheid.

Under the pretext of Islamic Sharia law, the measures barred girls and women from formal education from the age of 12, the right to visit public parks or travel alone, or even the right to see a doctor, unless it was a queer man.

Last month, the Taliban imposed a ban on training women to become midwives and nurses – another tragedy in a country with one of the world’s highest maternal mortality rates. According to World Bank data, 620 women die for every 100,000 live births in Afghanistan due to pregnancy-related complications.

Akhundzada recently ordered that windows overlooking areas used by women, such as kitchens, courtyards or wells, be covered.

Elizabeth Evenson, director of the New York-based International Justice Program

Human Rights Watch said in a statement Thursday that it hopes the ICC’s warrant against senior Taliban officials will put the group’s “exclusion of women and girls from public life and the targeting of LGBT people back on the international community’s radar.”

Evenson said the Taliban’s gender-based oppression “has accelerated with absolute impunity” since the summer of 2021, and that “in the absence of justice in Afghanistan, collateral demands provide a critical avenue for accountability.”

She called for a review of the ICC prosecutor’s decision to relocate the investigation into abuses committed by the former Afghan government and US personnel forces in the country for two decades. It was an investigation into the actions of American soldiers. It was started by Khan’s predecessor..

As the court continues its investigation into the situation in Afghanistan, more arrests and warrants for other Taliban members are expected to follow, Khan said.

“The judges of the International Criminal Court will decide whether these applications for arrest warrants establish reasonable grounds to believe that the named individuals have committed the crimes of which they are suspected. If the judges issue the warrants, my office will work closely with the Registrar. As in all cases, the State Parties will work with the Court to arrest the individuals.” To fully cooperate and assist in enforcing any court order He said he would ask.

Although the ICC has the power to issue arrest warrants – and has recently done so For both Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin NetanyahuThe country’s former defense chief and senior Hamas leader — has no means of independently enforcing such warrants.

The Court is established by the individual countries that are signatories to the treaty. To determine Failure to take into custody individuals wanted upon entry into that country’s territories, under an ICC warrant.

The United States is not a signatory to the Rome Convention and is therefore under no obligation to detain anyone under an ICC warrant.

Even if the ICC were to issue arrest warrants for Akhunzada or other Taliban leaders, it is highly unlikely that they would attempt to visit a country where they could be arrested. Almost the entire world has failed to recognize the Taliban as the legitimate government of Afghanistan since they regained control of the country.

Khan himself has been accused of trying to coerce a female assistant for over a year and holding her against her will. “There is no truth to the suggestions of misconduct,” he denied the charges. ICC officials said the claim could be part of a smear campaign by Israel’s intelligence agency.