Afghan women’s group hails ICC move to arrest Taliban leaders for persecution of women

[IwantToRetire]

An Afghan women’s group on Friday hailed a decision by the International Criminal Court to arrest Taliban leaders for their persecution of women.

The International Criminal Court’s chief prosecutor Karim Khan announced Thursday he had requested arrest warrants for two top Taliban officials, including the leader Hibatullah Akhundzada.

Since they took back control of the country in 2021, the Taliban have barred women from jobs, most public spaces and education beyond sixth grade.

In a statement, the Afghan Women’s Movement for Justice and Awareness celebrated the ICC decision and called it a “great historical achievement.”

“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,” the group said.

More https://www.independent.co.uk/news/taliban-ap-afghan-international-criminal-court-b2685562.html

Not that the ICC seems to have any real power, but as a decision it is symbolic.

Yes to all this. I said "Finally!" out loud to myself when I saw that news. That's my biggest question: what took them so many years?

Please, please let this one stick.

A previous prosecution for gender persecution against a Malian warlord didn't result in a conviction. The court thought the pattern of rapes and abductions was not serious enough (!) to amount to the crime of gender persecution and there was some doubt that he was doing it in the name of religion. But the situation in Afghanistan is exactly what is meant by gender persecution and could not be more serious - all women's and girls' human rights are being violated by the Taliban regime and it's in the service of their extreme, misogynistic brand of Islam.

So I really hope that they can actually execute the warrants as the next step.

Here are 2 interviews / reports by France 24 (which I increasingly find is the only "news" channel that actually has news!) relating to this

Taking on the Taliban: The need to end gender apartheid in Afghanistan
https://www.france24.com/en/tv-shows/the-51/20250124-taking-on-the-taliban-the-need-to-end-gender-apartheid-in-afghanistan

ICC arrest warrants for Taliban 'long overdue', Afghan women's rights activist Seraj says
https://www.france24.com/en/tv-shows/t%C3%AAte-%C3%A0-t%C3%AAte/20250123-icc-arrest-warrants-for-taliban-long-overdue-afghan-women-s-rights-activist-seraj-says

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/world-news/2025/02/16/taliban-crisis-splits-over-womens-rights-afghanistan

A sliver of hope perhaps for the women and girls of Afghanistan?

I really hope so. Conditions are so awful for those poor women and girls.

Afghanistan and the ICC warrant mentioned on Women's Hour this morning.

Features Fawzia Kofi a former member of the Afghan parliament

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/m00282zg?partner=uk.co.bbc&origin=share-mobile

I didn't want to start another thread as it would probably have been better if all the news about women in Afghanistan were part of an ongoing thread monitoring what is happening.

So this was in the news today:

Taliban arrest British couple in their 70s for teaching mothers
https://www.thetimes.com/uk/society/article/taliban-arrest-british-couple-in-their-70s-for-teaching-mothers-60frvr7s3
Full article here https://archive.is/4yNxH

The difference here is that this couple have the help of the UK Government, but it shows how totally the Taliban want to supress women.

Iran protests: Human Rights Council probe condemns online, app-based repression
https://news.un.org/en/story/2025/03/1161126

I think this report has led to newspaper headlines like this:

Iran electronically scans women for headscarf violations, UN report warns
https://www.irishnews.com/news/world/iran-electronically-scans-women-for-headscarf-violations-un-report-warns-7CJZXHEXURON3FGVEIPTRJN3LY/
see full article at https://archive.is/tb94M