Latest news with #genderpersecution
News24
09-07-2025
- Politics
- News24
ICC hits Afghanistan Taliban leaders with arrest warrants over treatment of women
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 toward Islam. 'We neither recognise anything by the name of an international court nor do we consider ourselves bound by it,' the Taliban government's spokesperson, 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 International Criminal Court (ICC) Pre-Trial Chamber has issued arrest warrants against the Taliban Supreme Leader, Haibatullah Akhundzada, and the Taliban Chief Justice, Abdul Hakim Haqqani for the crime against humanity of gender persecution in Afghanistan and their alleged… — Amnesty International (@amnesty) July 8, 2025 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 US, Israel and Russia. In 2024, the court issued an arrest warrant for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for alleged war crimes and crimes against humanity during the Gaza conflict. Wakil Kohsar/AFP 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. In June, the US 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.
The Independent
09-07-2025
- Politics
- The Independent
Arrest warrant issued for Taliban's supreme leader over persecution of women and girls in Afghanistan
The International Criminal Court (ICC) has issued arrest warrants for the Taliban 's supreme leader and the head of Afghanistan 's supreme court on charges of persecuting women and girls since wresting power about four years ago. The ICC said there were reasonable grounds to believe that supreme leader Hibatullah Akhunzada and chief justice Abdul Hakim Haqqani committed the crime against humanity of persecution on gender grounds against girls and women. The warrants accused the leaders of persecuting 'other persons non-conforming with the Taliban's policy on gender, gender identity or expression; and on political grounds against persons perceived as 'allies of girls and women.'' '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 ICC said on Tuesday as it issued a warant on charges of gender persecution for the first time. The court added that since wresting power in August 2021, the Taliban have 'severely deprived' girls and women of the rights to education, privacy and family life, along with freedoms of movement, expression, thought, conscience and religion. The Taliban have banned education for women and girls beyond sixth grade, most employment, and barred them from many public spaces. Last August, the vice and virtue ministry published laws that ban women's voices and bare faces outside the home. However, the Islamist leaders argue that Afghan women have been living in security with their rights protected. The Taliban condemned the warrants as an example of hostility towards Islam, calling it 'nonsense'. "We neither recognise anything by the name of an international court nor do we consider ourselves bound by it," the Taliban government's spokesperson, Zabihullah Mujahid, added in a statement. The full warrants and details on the specific incidents they are based on remain under seal to protect witnesses and victims, the court said. Human rights groups 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. This week, the UN General Assembly adopted a resolution over US objections calling on Afghanistan's Taliban rulers to reverse their worsening oppression of women and girls. The 11-page resolution also emphasises 'the importance of creating opportunities for economic recovery, development and prosperity in Afghanistan', and urges donors to address the country's dire humanitarian and economic crisis. The resolution is not legally binding but is seen as a reflection of world opinion. The vote was 116 in favour, with two – the US and close ally Israel – opposed and 12 abstentions, including Russia, China, India, and Iran.
Reuters
09-07-2025
- 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.
ABC News
08-07-2025
- Politics
- ABC News
International Criminal Court issues arrest warrants for Taliban leaders over persecution of women
The International Criminal Court has issued arrest warrants for two Taliban leaders on charges of persecuting women and girls since seizing power nearly four years ago. The court said there were reasonable grounds to believe that Taliban supreme leader Hibatullah Akhunzada and the chief justice of the Taliban, Abdul Hakim Haqqani, had committed the crime against humanity of persecution on gender grounds against girls and women. The warrants also accuse the leaders of persecuting "other persons nonconforming with the Taliban's policy on gender, gender identity or expression; and on political grounds against persons perceived as 'allies of girls and women'". Since the Taliban returned to power in 2021, it has clamped down on women's rights, banning women from public places and girls from attending school beyond the sixth grade. 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. It said the Taliban had "severely deprived, through decrees and edicts, girls and women of the rights to education, privacy and family life and the freedoms of movement, expression, thought, conscience and religion". The full warrants and details on the specific incidents they are based on remained under seal to protect witnesses and victims, the ICC said. The ICC's prosecution office called the decision to issue warrants "an important vindication and acknowledgement of the rights of Afghan women and girls". It added that the judges' ruling "also recognises the rights and lived experiences of persons whom the Taliban perceived as not conforming with their ideological expectations of gender identity or expression, such as members of the LGBTQI+ community, and persons whom the Taliban perceived as allies of girls and women". The court's chief prosecutor, Karim Khan, sought the warrants in January, saying that they recognised that "Afghan women and girls as well as the LGBTQI+ community are facing an unprecedented, unconscionable and ongoing persecution by the Taliban". 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, said in a statement. The warrants came just hours after the United Nations adopted a resolution that called on the Taliban to reverse their worsening oppression of women and girls and eliminate all terrorist organisations. NGOs hailed the warrants and called on the international community to back the ICC's work in Afghanistan. Human Rights Watch International justice director Liz Evenson said in a statement that nations should make concerted efforts to enforce the court's warrants. ICC judges approved a request in 2022 from the prosecutor to reopen an investigation into Afghanistan. The probe had been shelved after Kabul said it could handle the investigation, but Mr Khan said he wanted to reopen the inquiry because, under the Taliban, there was "no longer the prospect of genuine and effective domestic investigations" in Afghanistan. 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 week, Russia became the first country to formally recognise the Taliban's government. AP/Reuters
Irish Times
08-07-2025
- Politics
- Irish Times
International Criminal Court issues arrest warrants for Taliban leaders over persecution of women
The International Criminal Court (ICC) 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 nonconforming 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. An International Criminal Court arrest warrant has been issued for Taliban spiritual leader Haibatullah Akhundzada. Photograph: Social media via Reuters '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 Binyamin 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. – Reuters (c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2025
