UN international criminal court prosecutor seeks arrest warrant for Taliban leader over persecution of women

The chief prosecutor of the United Nations’ International Criminal Court announced on Thursday that he is seeking arrest warrants for the two most senior leaders. The Taliban regime that rules Afghanistan for crimes against humanity against the group treatment of women and girls.

Prosecutor Karim Khan said that after a thorough investigation and review of evidence, his office found “reasonable grounds to believe” that Taliban Supreme Leader Haibatullah Akhundzada and Chief Justice Abdul Hakim Haqqani “have been charged with crimes against humanity through sexual harassment.” grounds,” under the treaty that established the ICC, known as the Rome Statute.

Khan said his office concluded that both men were “responsible for persecuting Afghan girls and women, as well as people who the Taliban see as incompatible with their views of gender identity or expression, and people who the Taliban see as their friends. girls and women.”

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

“This ongoing persecution involves many deprivations of the victims’ basic rights, contrary to international law, including the right to physical integrity and independence, free movement and freedom of speech, education, private life and family, and free association,” Khan said.

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

Since to rediscover Afghanistanthe Taliban has imposed a long list of strict laws targeting women and girls. These measures saw women pushed out of public life and received much criticism from the international community, including accusations of gender discrimination.

Under the pretext of Islamic Sharia law, these measures deprive girls and women of formal education from the age of 12, the right to visit public parks or to walk alone, or even to see a doctor unless accompanied by a male escort.

Last month, the Taliban imposed a ban on women training to become midwives and nurses – another devastating blow to a country that already has one of the highest maternal mortality rates in the world. According to World Bank data, 620 women die out of every 100,000 live births in Afghanistan due to complications related to pregnancy.

Akhundzada recently ordered to close the windows in the houses facing areas used by women, such as kitchens, courtyards or water sources.

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

Human rights watchdog Human Rights Watch said in a statement on Thursday that it hopes the ICC’s request against senior Taliban figures will put the group’s “systematic exclusion of women and girls from public life and LGBT focus on the international community’s radar.”

Evenson said the gender-based oppression of the Taliban “has grown with complete indifference” since the summer of 2021, and that “without apparent justice in Afghanistan, warrant requests provide an important path to some response.”

He also asked the ICC prosecutor to review his decision “to cancel the investigation into torture committed by former Afghan government forces and US personnel” who had been stationed in the country for twenty years. The investigation into the actions of the US military was introduced by Khan’s predecessor.

Khan said the request for international arrest warrants highlights the ICC’s commitment to accountability for those involved in sex crimes, and that arrest warrants have also been filed for other senior members of the Taliban as the court’s investigation into the situation in Afghanistan continues.

“The judges of the International Criminal Court will now decide whether these requests for arrest warrants provide reasonable grounds to believe that the named individuals committed the alleged crimes. If the judges issue the warrants, my Office will work closely with the Registrar in all efforts to arrest the people,” said Khan, adding that, “As in all cases, I ask the United Nations to fully cooperate with the Court and assist it in enforcing any legal orders.”

Although the ICC has the power to issue arrest warrants – and has done so recently to both Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahuthe country’s former defense chief and senior Hamas leader – does not have the means to independently enforce these guarantees.

It is up to the individual countries that signed the agreement to establish the court to decide to take wanted persons into custody on ICC warrants, when they enter the territories of that country.

The United States is not a signatory to the Rome Statute, so it is not obligated to arrest anyone with an ICC warrant.

Even if the ICC issues warrants for Akhundzada or other Taliban leaders, it is unlikely that they will attempt to visit any country where they could be arrested. Almost the entire world refused to recognize the Taliban as the legitimate government of Afghanistan after they regained control of the country.

Khan himself has faced allegations that he tried for more than a year to force a female assistant to have sex and groped her against her will. He completely denied the allegations, saying “there is no truth to the suggestions of misconduct.” ICC officials said the allegations may have been made as part of an Israeli intelligence operation.