ICC issues arrest warrants for Taliban leaders over gender persecution

The ICC has issued arrest warrants for Taliban supreme leader Hibatullah Akhundzada and chief justice Abdul Hakim Haqqani, accusing them of crimes against humanity for persecuting Afghan women and girls. This marks the first ICC action against Taliban leadership since their 2021 return to power, though enforcement depends on member-state cooperation and the Taliban's non-recognition of the court. The warrants could complicate any future diplomatic engagement with the Taliban and signal a legal precedent for gender-based persecution.