Rawadari welcomes the International Criminal Court’s decision to unseal two additional arrest warrants for senior Taliban officials on charges of the crime against humanity of gender persecution. This is an important and historic step toward strengthening accountability, combating impunity, and safeguarding the rights of survivors and victims to justice.
On 5 October 2026, the International Criminal Court announced arrest warrants for Habibullah Agha, the Taliban’s Minister of Education, and Neda Mohammad Nadim, the de facto Minister of Higher Education. These follow the arrest warrants issued for Hibatullah Akhundzada, the Taliban leader, and Abdul Hakim Haqqani, the head of the Taliban judiciary. The arrest warrants are issued on allegation of crime against humanity of persecution on gender grounds against girls, women and other persons non-conforming with the Taliban’s policy on gender, gender identity or expression, as well as on political grounds against persons perceived as “allies of girls and women”.
Over the past five years, women and girls in Afghanistan have been systematically deprived of many fundamental rights, including the rights to education, work and employment, freedom of movement, participation in social and public life, and equal access to opportunities and public services. Additionally, civic space has been severely restricted in Afghanistan, while women human rights defenders, journalists, critics, and other independent voices have faced threats, detention, intimidation, and other forms of pressure. There is an urgent need for accountability and effective investigation of serious human rights violations and international crimes. Victims have the right to justice and effective remedies, and allegations concerning grave violations of human rights and international crimes must be investigated independently, impartially, promptly, and in accordance with legal standards.
Rawadari commends the women and girls of Afghanistan, victims’ families, human rights defenders, civil society activists, journalists, and all justice-seeking individuals who, despite threats, pressure, and restrictions, have continued documenting human rights violations and advocating for victims. In this regard, the People’s Tribunal for the Women of Afghanistan provided an important opportunity for women’s accounts and testimony to be heard, and helped draw international attention to the women’s rights situation in Afghanistan. Taken together, these efforts have helped preserve evidence, strengthen calls for justice and the effective prosecution of perpetrators, and advance justice and accountability.
In this context, Rawadari calls on Member States to welcome the International Criminal Court’s decision and to fulfil their role and responsibility in supporting justice and accountability. Supporting international judicial processes, combating impunity, and ensuring victims’ access to justice are shared responsibilities of the international community.
Rawadari hopes that this latest action by the International Criminal Court will help strengthen the broader accountability process for serious human rights violations and allegations of international crimes in Afghanistan. Victims of human rights violations in Afghanistan have waited for years for justice, truth, and recognition of their suffering. Their voices must not be disregarded amid political interests.
Rawadari once again reaffirms its commitment to documenting human rights violations, supporting victims’ rights, advancing accountability, combating impunity, and pursuing justice. We believe that meaningful and lasting justice requires placing rights, human dignity, and victims’ demands at the forefront; recognising the truth; and ensuring that allegations of international crimes are examined fairly within the framework of fundamental human rights principles and fair-trial standards.
