Moscow Accuses ICC Of Double Standards Over Taliban Arrest Warrants

A senior Russian official has criticised the International Criminal Court (ICC) for issuing arrest warrants for senior Taliban leaders, calling the move politically motivated.

A senior Russian official has criticised the International Criminal Court (ICC) for issuing arrest warrants for senior Taliban leaders, calling the move politically motivated.
Konstantin Kosachev, deputy speaker of Russia’s Federation Council, made the remarks in a statement posted on his Telegram channel on Thursday, 10 July. He claimed the ICC had shown little interest in Afghanistan until Moscow began taking steps toward recognising the Taliban-led government.
Kosachev accused the ICC of applying double standards, alleging that the court has failed to investigate or act on alleged war crimes committed by Western forces and their allies during their military presence in Afghanistan.
The ICC announced earlier this week that it had issued arrest warrants for Taliban leader Hibatullah Akhundzada and chief justice Abdul Hakim Haqqani on charges of crimes against humanity, including gender-based persecution.

Hannah Neumann, a Member of the European Parliament, has strongly condemned Iran’s mass deportation of Afghan migrants, describing the policy as “deporting them to hell.”
In a statement posted on X (formerly Twitter), Neumann said more than 700000 Afghan refugees have been expelled from Iran so far this year, calling the situation a “crime unfolding in real time.”
“Let’s talk about hypocrisy, collective failure and a crime unfolding in real time,” she wrote. “The EU said three years ago that Afghan refugees should go to Iran. Now, the Islamic regime is deporting them into hell. Over 700000 Afghans have been expelled from Iran this year.”
According to Neumann, many deportees arrive at the Islam Qala border crossing “barefoot, hungry, violated and sent straight into Taliban territory.” She said some of the returnees were born in Iran and have never even seen Afghanistan.
“This isn’t migration,” she stressed. “It’s expulsion, by force, scale and terror. No legal review. No access to asylum. No due process.”
Neumann also alleged that Afghan migrants in Iran, including those with valid visas, education records and children, are being dragged from their homes, dumped at the border, and often have their documents destroyed.
She called for urgent international action, including the issuance of humanitarian visas for at-risk Afghans, emergency funding for the UNHCR and the International Organization for Migration, and the establishment of safe and legal exit routes from Iran that do not place returnees at risk of Taliban persecution.

The Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC) has raised alarm over the ongoing mass deportations of Afghan refugees from Iran, warning that humanitarian agencies in Afghanistan are no longer able to cope with the growing number of returnees.
In a statement released Thursday, NRC Country Director in Afghanistan Jacopo Caridi said: “We are seeing families arrive exhausted and distressed to a country that has very limited capacity to support.”
Caridi stressed that Afghanistan currently lacks the infrastructure and resources to absorb and reintegrate such a large influx of returnees. “We are doing everything we can, but the scale of needs is exceeding the current resources,” he added.
According to the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), 1.4 million Afghan migrants have returned from Iran since the beginning of 2024. The NRC warned that, if the current pace continues, more than 3 million Afghans could be forced back into the country by the end of 2025.
The organisation called for an immediate halt to forced returns, arguing that present conditions in Afghanistan “do not meet the minimum standards for safety or sustainability.”

The Taliban have publicly flogged a man in Ghazni province on charges of engaging in sexual relations outside of marriage, sentencing him to 30 lashes and one year and six months in prison.
According to a statement issued by the Taliban’s Supreme Court on Thursday, 10 July, the punishment was carried out in Jaghori district in the presence of local officials, court representatives, and members of the public. The statement added that the sentence was implemented following formal approval by the Supreme Court.
Just a day earlier, Taliban officials administered similar punishments in the provinces of Faryab and Kapisa, where two individuals were publicly flogged for alleged “illicit relations” and for “transporting alcoholic beverages.”
Despite strong condemnation from international human rights organisations over the use of corporal punishment, the Taliban continue to implement such measures in public. The group maintains that these punishments are in line with its interpretation of Islamic Sharia law.

A senior Taliban official has criticised the treatment of Afghan refugees in Iran, citing reports of rights violations and poor conditions in refugee camps, as mass deportations continue across the border.
Abdul Salam Hanafi, deputy to the Taliban’s prime minister, said on Thursday, 10 July, that the forced deportation of Afghan migrants from Iran remains “alarming,” with more than 40,000 people reportedly returning to Afghanistan each day via the Islam Qala and Pul-e-Abrisham border crossings.
Speaking at a press conference in Kabul, Hanafi claimed the situation remains “under control” despite the high volume of returnees.
He alleged that Afghan refugees face mistreatment not only along migration routes but also within camps inside Iran, and said some Iranian citizens have violated the rights of Afghan migrants.
Hanafi added that the Taliban is providing immediate humanitarian assistance to returnees. Each individual is being given 2,000 Afghanis in cash and free transportation to cities across the country, he said.
Iran has significantly increased the deportation of undocumented Afghan nationals in recent months, drawing concern from human rights groups over the treatment of migrants and the lack of safeguards during their return.

The United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) has expressed concern over a new directive issued by the Taliban that imposes sweeping restrictions on media operations across the country.
In a statement posted on X (formerly Twitter) on Thursday, 10 July, UNAMA warned that the policy, which requires prior approval of programme content and guest speakers by Taliban authorities, risks fostering fear and self-censorship among Afghan journalists and media outlets.
The directive, titled “Policy on Hosting Political Programmes (Roundtables) in Afghanistan”, was issued by the Taliban’s Ministry of Information and Culture and circulated to domestic media organisations. Afghanistan International has obtained a copy of the four-page document.
Under the new rules, media outlets must seek prior approval from the Ministry before airing political content. Political analysts are also required to obtain official permission and carry a Taliban-issued ID card in order to participate in debates or news programmes.
The directive further instructs broadcasters to align all political content with the "policies of the Islamic Emirate" and warns that any material deemed contrary to Taliban governance, national unity, or Afghan values could result in punitive action, including the suspension or revocation of broadcasting licences.
Media outlets have also been directed to limit criticism of Taliban officials to “respectful tones” and remain within what the group defines as the boundaries of the law.
Since returning to power in August 2021, the Taliban have gradually tightened their grip on Afghanistan’s media landscape. The latest directive is viewed as a formal escalation in the group's efforts to silence dissent and control public discourse.
Afghanistan’s press freedom has continued to decline under Taliban rule. According to the 2025 World Press Freedom Index, the country now ranks 175th out of 180 nations, with a press freedom score of just 17.88.
