Taliban reject court move to arrest top officials for persecuting Afghan women and girls

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This article was published 24/01/2025 (427 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

The Taliban Friday rejected a court move to arrest two of their top officials for persecuting women, accusing the court of baseless accusations and misbehavior.

The International Criminal Court’s chief prosecutor Karim Khan announced Thursday he had requested arrest warrants for two top Taliban officials, including the leader Hibatullah Akhundzada.

Since they took back control of the country in 2021, the Taliban have barred women from jobs, most public spaces and education beyond sixth grade.

A Foreign Ministry statement condemned the ICC request.

The court was making baseless accusations against Afghanistan’s leadership at a time of peace in the country and people had “breathed a sigh of relief.”

The ministry alleged the court had turned a blind eye to decades of war and crimes against humanity committed by foreign forces and their allies. “This misbehavior further destroys the weak credibility of the said structure (ICC) and makes its status and position at the international level completely meaningless,” the statement said.

The ministry warned the court against imposing its interpretation of human rights and ignoring the religious and national values ​​of others.

Earlier Friday, an Afghan women’s group had hailed the court’s move.

The Afghan Women’s Movement for Justice and Awareness celebrated the ICC decision and called it a “great historical achievement.”

“We consider this achievement a symbol of the strength and will of Afghan women and believe this step will start a new chapter of accountability and justice in the country,” the group said.

An official in the former Western-backed administration said the Taliban leadership was likely to exploit the decision for propaganda purposes by framing it as proof of their strong faith and resilience.

“They may tell their followers that their beliefs are so powerful they have provoked the collective opposition of global powers,” Mohammad Halim Fidai said on the X platform. Fidai was a governor of four provinces before the Taliban takeover in August 2021 and now lives outside Afghanistan. “This decision could inadvertently serve as a badge of honor or credibility for them.”

Also Friday, the U.N. mission in Afghanistan said it was a “tragedy and travesty” that girls remain deprived of education.

“It has been 1,225 days — soon to be four years — since authorities imposed a ban that prevents girls above the age of 12 from attending school,” said the head of the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan, Roza Otunbayeva. “It is a travesty and tragedy that millions of Afghan girls have been stripped of their right to education.”

Afghanistan is the only country in the world that explicitly bars women and girls from all levels of education, said Otunbayeva.