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Reuters
a day ago
- Politics
- Reuters
ICC issues arrest warrants for Taliban leaders over persecution of women
THE HAGUE, July 8 (Reuters) - The International Criminal Court on Tuesday issued arrest warrants for two Taliban leaders in Afghanistan including supreme spiritual leader Haibatullah Akhundzada, accusing them of the persecution of women and girls. The ICC said there were reasonable grounds to believe that Akhundzada and Abdul Hakim Haqqani, chief justice of the Taliban, had committed the crime against humanity of persecution on gender grounds against girls, women and other persons non-conforming with the Taliban's policy on gender, gender identity or expression. Since the Islamist Taliban returned to power in 2021 it has clamped down on women's rights, including limits to schooling, work and general independence in daily life. The Taliban condemned the warrants as an example of hostility towards Islam. "We neither recognise anything by the name of an international court nor do we consider ourselves bound by it," the Taliban government's spokesman, Zabihullah Mujahid, added in a statement. It is the first time judges of the ICC have issued a warrant on charges of gender persecution. "While the Taliban have imposed certain rules and prohibitions on the population as a whole, they have specifically targeted girls and women by reason of their gender, depriving them of fundamental rights and freedoms," the court said. The full warrants and details on the specific incidents they are based on remain under seal to protect witnesses and victims, the court said. NGOs hailed the warrants and called on the international community to back the ICC's work. "The international community should fully back the ICC in its critical work in Afghanistan and globally, including through concerted efforts to enforce the court's warrants," Human Rights Watch International Justice director Liz Evenson, said in a statement. The ICC has been under increased criticism from non-member states such as the United States, Israel and Russia. Last year the court issued an arrest warrant for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for alleged war crimes and crimes against humanity during the Gaza conflict. The ICC also issued an arrest warrant for Russian President Vladimir Putin in 2023 on suspicion of deporting children from Ukraine. Neither Russia nor Israel is a member of the court and both deny the accusations and reject ICC jurisdiction. Last month the United States imposed sanctions on four ICC judges including two who were involved in a ruling that allowed prosecutors to open a formal investigation into war crimes and crimes against humanity in Afghanistan, including alleged crimes committed by American troops. The ICC said it was an attempt to undermine the independence of an international judicial institution that provides hope and justice to millions of victims.
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
ICC seeks arrest of Taliban leaders over persecution of women
The International Criminal Court on Tuesday issued arrest warrants for two senior Taliban leaders in Afghanistan, accusing them of crimes against humanity over the persecution of women and girls. Judges said that there were "reasonable grounds" to suspect Taliban Supreme Leader Hibatullah Akhundzada and chief justice Abdul Hakim Haqqani of committing gender-based persecution. "While the Taliban have imposed certain rules and prohibitions on the population as a whole, they have specifically targeted girls and women by reason of their gender, depriving them of fundamental rights and freedoms," the court said in a statement. The Taliban had "severely deprived" girls and women of the rights to education, privacy and family life and the freedoms of movement, expression, thought, conscience and religion, ICC judges said. "In addition, other persons were targeted because certain expressions of sexuality and/or gender identity were regarded as inconsistent with the Taliban's policy on gender." The court said tht the alleged crimes had been committed between August 15, 2021, when the Taliban seized power, and continued until at least January 20, 2025. Taliban authorities rejected the warrants as "nonsense". The ICC warrants "won't affect the strong commitment and dedication to sharia (Islamic law)" of Taliban authorities, spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid said in a statement. The ICC, based in The Hague, was set up to rule on the world's worst crimes, such as war crimes and crimes against humanity. It has no police force of its own and relies on member states to carry out its arrest warrants -- with mixed results. In theory, this means anyone subject to an ICC arrest warrant cannot travel to a member state for fear of being detained. "We don't recognise any such international court, nor do we need it," added Mujahid. - 'Ongoing persecution' - After sweeping back to power in August 2021, the Taliban authorities pledged a softer rule than their first stint from 1996 to 2001. But they quickly imposed restrictions on women and girls that the United Nations has labelled "gender apartheid". Edicts in line with their interpretation of Islamic law handed down by Akhundzada, who rules by decree from the movement's birthplace in southern Kandahar, have squeezed women and girls out of public life. The Taliban government barred girls from secondary school and women from university in the first 18 months after they ousted the US-backed government, making Afghanistan the only country in the world to impose such bans. Authorities imposed restrictions on women working for non-governmental groups and other employment, with thousands of women losing government jobs -- or being paid to stay at home. Beauty salons have been closed and women blocked from visiting public parks, gyms and baths as well as travelling long distances without a male chaperone. A "vice and virtue" law announced last year ordered women not to sing or recite poetry in public and for their voices and bodies to be "concealed" outside the home. The ICC prosecutor's office welcomed the warrants as "an important vindication and acknowledgement of the rights of Afghan women and girls." "Through the Taliban's deprivation of fundamental rights to education, privacy and family life... Afghan women and girls were increasingly erased from public life," said ICC prosecutors. "The decision of the judges of the ICC affirms that their rights are valuable, and that their plight and voices matter." When requesting the arrest warrants in January, chief prosecutor Karim Khan warned that he would seek warrants for other Taliban officials. Agnes Callamard, secretary general of Amnesty International, said the ICC warrants gave hope to women and girls inside and outside of Afghanistan. Liz Evenson, international justice director at Human Rights Watch, said the arrest warrants showed that "when justice is supported, victims can have their day in court." ric/bc
Express Tribune
2 days ago
- Politics
- Express Tribune
Afghanistan rejects ICC's ruling on arrest of senior Taliban leaders
Listen to article The spokesperson for the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan, Zabihullah Mujahid, has issued a strong rebuttal to the recent ruling by the International Criminal Court (ICC), which called for the arrest and prosecution of senior Taliban leaders, Haibatullah Akhundzada and Abdul Hakim Haqqani. In a statement issued on Tuesday, Mujahid categorically rejected the authority of the entity known as the "International Court," stating that the Islamic Emirate does not recognise any institution operating under that title, nor do they acknowledge any obligations toward it. He stated that such declarations and baseless rhetoric would not deter the resolve or legitimate stance of the Islamic Emirate. Mujahid further condemned the 'hypocrisy' of the international body, citing the ongoing genocide in Gaza, where innocent women and children are being killed daily by the Israeli regime and its foreign allies. Read More: ICC issues arrest warrants for Taliban leaders over rights abuses He questioned the credibility of the ICC which, according to him, has failed to take action in the face of such atrocities while focusing its attention on Afghanistan. However, it must be noted that the ICC has issued arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Israeli defence minister Yoav Gallant. The spokesperson also highlighted the Islamic Emirate's commitment to justice, asserting that the leadership and officials of the Emirate have established unparalleled justice in Afghanistan based on the sacred laws of Islamic Sharia. Mujahid made it clear that any labeling of Sharia law as oppressive or against human rights, and any threats of prosecution for those who implement it, reflects an inherent bias against Islam and its legal system. He further described these actions as an insult to the beliefs of Muslims worldwide and a clear expression of enmity toward the religion. He concluded by reaffirming that the Islamic Emirate remains resolute in its governance, firmly upholding Islamic law, and standing against external interference.
Al Arabiya
2 days ago
- Politics
- Al Arabiya
Afghan Taliban reject ‘nonsense' ICC warrants
Afghanistan's Taliban authorities on Tuesday rejected the International Criminal Court's arrest warrants for two senior Taliban leaders over accusations of persecuting women and girls, calling the move 'nonsense.' 'Such nonsense announcements won't affect the strong commitment and dedication to sharia (Islamic law)" of Taliban authorities, spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid said in a statement, adding that the Taliban government does not recognize the court.
CBS News
6 days ago
- Business
- CBS News
Russia becomes first country to formally recognize Taliban's rule in Afghanistan as China welcomes the move
Russia has become the first country to formally recognize the Taliban's government in Afghanistan since it seized power in 2021 after Moscow removed the group from its list of outlawed organizations. The Russian Foreign Ministry announced Thursday that it had received credentials from Afghanistan's newly appointed Ambassador Gul Hassan Hassan. The official recognition of the Afghan government will foster "productive bilateral cooperation," the ministry said in a statement. Afghanistan's Foreign Ministry called it a "historic step," and quoted Taliban Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi as welcoming the decision as "a good example for other countries." The flag used by the Taliban's interim government is seen over the building of Afghanistan's Embassy after Russia has officially recognized the Taliban government in Afghanistan, in Moscow, Russia on July 04, 2025. Sefa Karacan/Anadolu via Getty Images "We believe Russia's move is a positive message to the rest of the world. … We think some Muslim and regional countries may follow suit," Taliban spokesperson Zabihullah Mujahid told CBS News. China welcomed Russia's decision Friday. "As a traditional friendly neighbor of Afghanistan, the Chinese side has always believed that Afghanistan should not be excluded from the international community," foreign ministry spokesperson Mao Ning said. "No matter how the internal or external situation changes in Afghanistan, diplomatic relations between China and Afghanistan have never been interrupted," she said. A former senior Taliban official told CBS News' Sami Yousafzai on Friday that while the group's leadership would no doubt welcome the Russian and Chinese backing, there was a recognition that "Russia and China can't financially support us the way the Americans did." During two decades of U.S.-backed governance in Afghanistan, there was a steady flow of billions of dollars into the country, helping pay for everything from police salaries and hospitals to schools and weapons for the military and police. Since the Taliban retook power in the summer of 2021, that financial support from the U.S. and its allies has virtually dried up. "Only America and its allies can bring real relief — if they choose to," the former Taliban official told Yousafzai. "We know that." The Taliban took control of Afghanistan in August 2021 following the withdrawal of U.S. and NATO forces. Since then, they have sought international recognition while also enforcing their strict interpretation of Islamic law. While no country had formally recognized the Taliban administration until now, the group had engaged in high-level talks with many nations and established some diplomatic ties with countries including China and the United Arab Emirates. Still, the Taliban government has been relatively isolated on the world stage, largely over its restrictions on women. Although the Taliban initially promised a more moderate rule than during their first stint in power from 1996 to 2001, it started to enforce restrictions on women and girls soon after the 2021 takeover. Women are barred from most jobs and public places, including parks, baths and gyms, while girls are banned from education beyond sixth grade. Russian officials have recently been emphasizing the need to engage with the Taliban to help stabilize Afghanistan, and lifted a ban on the Taliban in April. Russia's ambassador to Afghanistan, Dmitry Zhirnov, said in remarks broadcast by state Channel One television that the decision to officially recognize the Taliban government was made by President Vladimir Putin on advice from Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov. Zhirnov said the decision proves Russia's "sincere striving for the development of full-fledged relations with Afghanistan." On Friday, the Taliban took down the tricolor flag of the republic from the embassy building in Moscow and replaced it with their white flag, prompting reactions from former republic officials. "An authoritarian regime recognizing another" "Russia's recognition of the Taliban marks a turning point. It legitimizes a regime that bans girls from education, enforces public floggings, and shelters UN-sanctioned terrorists," Mariam Solaimankhail, a former member of the Afghanistan parliament during the republic government, wrote on social media. "The move signals that strategic interests will always outweigh human rights and international law." Naseer A. Faiq, the chargé d'affaires of the Afghan Permanent Mission to the United Nations, said, "The recognition of the Taliban by countries that have supported them over the past twenty years is not surprising. But the main question is whether this recognition will have an impact on the political, economic, social, and humanitarian situation in Afghanistan and its people, who are facing poverty, unemployment, and uncertainty, or not? "The answer is clear: this political move is apparently in the interests of the Taliban, but its long-term negative effects on the Afghan people will be much greater." Torek Farhadi, a veteran geopolitical analyst, believes Russia is interested in rare earth minerals in Afghanistan. He said Moscow's recognition of the Taliban makes financial investment possible for Russia's defense industry in the region. "Afghanistan has rare earth mines and deposits and Moscow has the mappings from the Soviet day," Farhadi told CBS News. "Moscow officially recognizes the Taliban, it opens the door for investments as rare earth becomes key to the auto industry and the defense industry. Moscow is interested in this spot before anybody else returns to Afghanistan for such investments." Mohammad Halim Fidai, a former provincial governor and civil society activist in exile in Germany, told CBS News, "By endorsing the Taliban regime, Russia has not only violated international norms but also undermined the global consensus against recognizing a government with a deeply troubling human rights record." "This move risks further marginalizing both Russia and the Taliban on the world stage." "Moreover, it exposes the flawed assumptions by some in the West that the Taliban had reformed and would respect basic rights. Ultimately, this endorsement reflects a broader trend of authoritarian solidarity — an authoritarian regime recognizing another."
