Nine countries have issued a joint statement backing the International Criminal Court (ICC) prosecutor’s request for arrest warrants against Taliban leader Hibatullah Akhundzada and Chief Justice Abdul Hakim Haqqani.
The statement was signed by Denmark, France, Greece, Guyana, Panama, South Korea, Sierra Leone, Slovenia, and the United Kingdom. These countries condemned the Taliban’s systematic gender discrimination and violence against women.
The governments urged the Taliban to immediately revoke policies that violate women’s and girls’ fundamental rights. They emphasised that Afghan women have been erased from public life and their voices silenced.
The nine countries reaffirmed their commitment to holding the Taliban accountable for the widespread violations of women’s rights. They also welcomed the ICC’s efforts in pursuing justice.
Earlier, ICC Chief Prosecutor Karim Khan called for arrest warrants against Akhundzada and Haqqani. He accused them of crimes against humanity, particularly for their role in suppressing Afghan women.
