ICC unseals arrest warrants for four senior Taliban leaders

The International Criminal Court on Monday unsealed arrest warrants against four senior Taliban figures, accusing them of gender persecution amounting to a crime against humanity. UN News, France 24, and the South China Morning Post all reported that the judges made public the warrants, which address the systematic targeting of women and girls in Afghanistan. [1][2][3]

According to UN News, the unsealed warrants target Taliban Supreme Leader Haibatullah Akhundzada and Chief Justice Abdul Hakim Haqqani, whose warrants were originally announced in July 2025. UN News and France 24 reported that the warrants also named Afghan Education Minister Habibullah Agha and Higher Education Minister Neda Mohammad Nadim. France 24 added that the two ministers are accused of crimes against humanity for denying education to girls and women over the age of 12. [1][2]

The South China Morning Post reported that the charges against the four leaders cover gender persecution directed against women, girls, and members of the LGBTQ community since the Taliban took control of the country in 2021. [3]

Haibatullah Akhundzada is an Afghan cleric and politician who has served as the supreme leader of Afghanistan under the Taliban government since leading the movement in 2016. He assumed political power following the victory over United States backed forces in the 2001 to 2021 war. He remains a reclusive figure who has almost no digital footprint beyond two photographs and several audio recordings. [8]