ICC makes four Taliban arrest warrants public

The International Criminal Court on October 5, 2026, made public four arrest warrants for senior Taliban officials accused of crimes against humanity through gender-based persecution in Afghanistan. The warrants name Taliban Supreme Leader Haibatullah Akhundzada, Chief Justice Abdul Hakim Haqqani, Education Minister Habibullah Agha and Higher Education Minister Neda Mohammad Nadim. The allegations are not findings of guilt. The warrants were issued in 2025 and remained sealed until the court disclosed them publicly. The ICC had announced warrants for Akhundzada and Haqqani in July 2025, while the warrants for Agha and Nadim were issued in September. The public disclosure brought all four cases into view, although portions of the documents remain redacted. According to the ICC’s warrant findings, the suspects are accused of persecution on gender grounds, targeting women and girls and people whose gender identity or expression was considered inconsistent with Taliban policy. The court’s stated allegations concern policies implemented after the Taliban returned to power in August 2021.