ICC Unseals Warrants Against Four Taliban Leaders Over Gender Persecution

The International Criminal Court (ICC) has unsealed arrest warrants against four senior Taliban figures accused of crimes against humanity linked to the persecution of women, girls and other people considered incompatible with the Taliban’s gender policies in Afghanistan.

The ICC Pre-Trial Chamber II announced the decision on Monday, October 5, 2026, revealing that the warrants concern Taliban Supreme Leader Haibatullah Akhundzada, Chief Justice Abdul Hakim Haqqani, Education Minister Habibullah Agha and Higher Education Minister Neda Mohammad Nadim.

The warrants against Agha and Nadim were issued on September 9, 2025, while those against Akhundzada and Haqqani were issued on July 8, 2025. Although the existence of the first two warrants had previously been made public, the detailed warrants remained sealed until the latest ICC decision.

According to the court, there are reasonable grounds to believe that the four suspects are responsible for ordering, inducing or soliciting the crime against humanity of persecution on gender grounds. The alleged victims include girls, women and other individuals whose gender identity or expression was viewed as inconsistent with Taliban policy, as well as people perceived as political allies of women and girls.

The ICC said its findings relate to a broader governmental policy that allegedly resulted in severe restrictions on fundamental rights and freedoms. The court specifically cited restrictions affecting women and girls’ access to education, freedom of movement, expression, privacy and family life, among other rights. It also said the alleged persecution occurred in connection with conduct including murder, imprisonment, torture, rape and enforced disappearance.

The development places renewed international legal attention on the Taliban’s policies towards women and girls since the group returned to power in Afghanistan in August 2021. The restrictions have included the exclusion of girls from education beyond the primary level and the exclusion of women from higher education, while women have also faced restrictions on employment and participation in public life.

The unsealing of the warrants, however, does not mean the four suspects have been arrested or are in ICC custody. The court does not have its own police force and depends on states to execute arrest warrants. With the Taliban still exercising control over Afghanistan, the immediate prospect of arrests remains uncertain.

The ICC said the decision to make the warrants public was taken after determining that disclosure would not unduly affect ongoing investigations and could promote international cooperation concerning the Afghanistan situation.

For Afghanistan’s women and girls, the proceedings represent an important development in the international legal scrutiny of policies that have significantly restricted access to education and other fundamental freedoms. The case also places the principle of accountability for gender-based persecution at the centre of continuing international attention.

The ICC has unsealed arrest warrants against four senior Taliban leaders accused of crimes against humanity and gender-based persecution in Afghanistan.