Taliban have forced residents of Bamiyan province to stage protests against the International Criminal Court (ICC) prosecutor Karim Khan’s request for arrest warrants targeting Taliban leader Hibatullah Akhundzada and their chief justice Abdul Hakim Haqqani, sources told Amu on Saturday.
Local sources alleged that Abdullah Sarhadi, the Taliban governor of Bamiyan, coerced and threatened members of the Shia community in the province to denounce the ICC’s actions. According to reports, Sarhadi contacted several Shia elders in Bamiyan, instructing them to publicly condemn the ICC prosecutor’s request.
One source revealed that Sarhadi warned Shia elders that they had been spared persecution or punishment over the past three years—despite what he referred to as “blasphemous acts” committed during the previous two decades—only because of a pardon granted by the Taliban leader. Sarhadi reportedly stated that if the Shia community failed to show gratitude by opposing the ICC, the Taliban might change their approach toward them.
Female teachers in Bamiyan were also reportedly coerced into joining the protests. According to sources, the Taliban’s Department of Education instructed women to participate, with some being promised aid as an incentive. However, after the protests concluded, no financial assistance was provided.
This follows an announcement by ICC prosecutor Karim Khan on Thursday that applications had been filed to secure arrest warrants for Akhundzada and Haqqani. The move has been hailed by international human rights groups but has drawn sharp condemnation from the Taliban.
