Women’s Initiatives for Gender Justice welcomes the arrest warrants issued by Pre-Trial Chamber II of the International Criminal Court (ICC) for Taliban leaders Haibatullah Akhundzada and Abdul Hakim Haqqani for the crime against humanity of gender persecution in Afghanistan. These warrants confirm the application submitted by the Office of the Prosecutor earlier this year.

The Court found reasonable grounds to believe that Taliban leadership issued and enforced over 80 policies and decrees designed to systematically deny women and girls their fundamental rights, including access to education, employment, and participation in public life. The warrants also acknowledge that these repressive measures affected LGBTQIA+ individuals.

This is a powerful affirmation that these abuses are not a reflection of “culture”, but crimes.

Crucially, the ICC also recognized that persecution based on gender expression, sexual orientation, and perceived affiliation as “allies of women and girls” can constitute crimes against humanity.

What Comes Next?

🔹 State Cooperation
The arrest warrants require strong political will. Their execution depends on the cooperation of States and the allocation of adequate resources to the ICC.

🔹 Support for Survivors
Survivor-led documentation and protection initiatives must be fully resourced. Ongoing support is essential for accountability and healing.

🔹 Legal Reform
We urge States to codify gender apartheid as a distinct crime in national and international legal frameworks.

🔹 Treaty Negotiations
The Crimes Against Humanity treaty process offers a critical opportunity to advance legal recognition of both gender persecution and gender apartheid.

Learn More

🔗 More information
🔗 End Gender Apartheid Campaign
🔗 Reflections from Lisa Davis
🔗 Reflections from Zahra Nader