In brief
On July 8, 2025, the International Criminal Court (I.C.C.) announced it has issued arrest warrants for the supreme leader of the Taliban, Sheikh Haibatullah Akhundzada, and the country’s chief justice, Abdul Hakim Haqqani. The court cites the Taliban's extreme restrictions on women and girls as evidence of crimes against humanity.
Since seizing control of Afghanistan in 2021, the Taliban has significantly marginalized women, effectively erasing them from nearly all areas of public life. Women are banned from speaking outdoors, working in most professions, and accessing various public spaces, such as parks and salons. Travel without a male relative is forbidden, and women must cover their bodies entirely in public. Education for girls has faced severe limitations, with those beyond sixth grade prohibited from attending school.These policies, reportedly affecting half of Afghanistan's population of 41 million, have led experts to label the situation as "gender apartheid." The I.C.C. judges have stated that the Taliban's governing strategies have resulted in a widespread pattern of violence against women, including murder, imprisonment, torture, and forced disappearances.
