International Criminal Court seeks arrest of Taliban leaders for persecution of Afghan women

The International Criminal Court's (ICC) chief prosecutor, Karim Khan, has requested arrest warrants for two senior Taliban leaders, Haibatullah Akhundzada and Abdul Hakim Haqqani, on charges of crimes against humanity. Khan alleges that these men bear criminal responsibility for the persecution of Afghan women and girls, as well as the LGBTQI+ community. This move comes amidst a backdrop of widespread human rights abuses in Afghanistan, where women and girls are facing an unprecedented and ongoing persecution under Taliban rule.