The Taliban rejected a court’s request to arrest two of their top officials for persecuting women, accusing the court of baseless charges and unworthy behaviour, according to AP News.
The International Criminal Court (ICC) chief prosecutor Karim Khan announced on Thursday that he had requested arrest warrants for two senior Taliban officials, including leader Hibatullah Akhundzada.
Since the Taliban regained control of the country in 2021, it barred women from working, from attending most public places and from education beyond the sixth grade. The Taliban Foreign Ministry said the ICC 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 Ministry warned the court against imposing its interpretation of human rights and ignoring the religious and national values of other countries. However, the Afghan Women’s Movement welcomed the court’s decision.
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.
A spokesman for the former Afghan administration, Mohammad Halim Fidai, said the Taliban leadership was likely to use the decision to prove its resilience to global pressure.
They may tell their followers that their beliefs are so powerful they have provoked the collective opposition of global powers. This decision could inadvertently serve as a badge of honor or credibility for them.
Afghanistan was the only country in the world that openly prohibits women and girls from receiving education at all levels, said the head of the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA), Roza Otunbayeva.
