KABUL, Afghanistan — Women protesters welcomed the International Criminal Court (ICC) prosecutor’s recent request for arrest warrants against Hibatullah Akhundzada, the Taliban’s supreme leader, and Abdul Hakim Haqqani, Chief Justice of the Taliban. The protesters said the Taliban have committed grave human rights abuses over the past three years.
The demonstrators, identifying themselves as members of the Window of Hope Women’s Movement and the Azadegan Movement in Exile, issued separate statements condemning the Taliban’s actions. They accused the group of “targeted killings of civilians, suppression of ethnic and religious minorities, ethnic cleansing within government institutions, torture, arbitrary executions, and the suppression of freedom of expression and the press.”
The protesters said these actions have worsened Afghanistan’s humanitarian crisis, deepened poverty, and forced mass migration. They also highlighted the Taliban’s violations of women’s rights, stating that many Afghan women and girls have resorted to suicide after losing jobs or being deprived of education in schools and universities.
The ICC prosecutor’s request for arrest warrants, the women said, represents “a declaration of justice against violators of equality and human rights” and “a significant step toward holding the Taliban accountable.” They credited the progress to the persistent struggles of Afghan women against Taliban oppression.
The protesters also accused the Taliban of systematically concealing many of their crimes, citing a lack of press freedom and widespread fear among Afghan citizens.
The ICC prosecutor Karim Khan last week submitted hia request for warrants against the Taliban leaders, accusing them of “crimes against humanity,” particularly gender-based persecution. The announcement has been welcomed by human rights organizations, women’s groups, international institutions, and anti-Taliban political and resistance fronts.
Richard Bennett, the United Nations special rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Afghanistan, described the ICC’s move as a vital step in holding Taliban leaders accountable. “This is an essential development in the pursuit of justice for the Afghan people,” Mr. Bennett said.
