A big international court called the International Criminal Court (ICC) just made a very serious move: they want to arrest two powerful Taliban leaders from Afghanistan because of how badly they’ve treated women and girls.
On Tuesday, the ICC said there are strong reasons to believe that Taliban Supreme Leader Haibatullah Akhundzada and Chief Justice Abdul Hakim Haqqani committed crimes against humanity by persecuting women just because they are female.
What Did the Taliban Do?
According to the ICC, ever since the Taliban took control of Afghanistan on August 15, 2021, they’ve made life very hard for girls and women. These rules have stayed in place up to January 20, 2025.
Here’s what the Taliban did:
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Banned girls from going to school
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Stopped women from working freely
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Didn’t allow women to travel or go out without a male guardian
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Told women what to wear and how to behave
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Took away their right to speak freely or practice their beliefs
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Even punished people whose gender or identity didn’t match what the Taliban wanted
The court said that these weren’t just rules for safety or religion — they were clear acts of discrimination and cruelty, simply because the victims were women.
Why Is the ICC Involved?
The International Criminal Court, based in The Hague, Netherlands, was created to deal with the world’s worst crimes, like war crimes and crimes against humanity.
But here’s the tricky part: the ICC doesn’t have its own police. It depends on member countries to arrest people for them. That means if these Taliban leaders travel to countries that follow ICC rules, they could be arrested — but only if those countries choose to help.
What Happens Next?
These arrest warrants send a powerful message to the world: hurting people because of their gender is a serious crime, and no one is above the law — not even the most powerful leaders.
Now, many people are watching closely to see:
Will justice be served?
Will any country help the ICC make these arrests?
One thing is clear: the world is no longer silent about what’s happening to women and girls in Afghanistan.
