Kabul: The International Criminal Court (ICC) has issued arrest warrants for two senior Taliban leaders in Afghanistan on charges of persecuting women since the group took power. The warrants target the Taliban's supreme leader, Hibatullah Akhundzada, and the chief justice of Afghanistan, Abdul Hakim Haqqani, for their roles in violating the rights of women and other individuals who oppose the Taliban's policies based on gender, identity, or political beliefs.

According to National Iraqi News Agency, the charges come after the Taliban's controversial takeover of Afghanistan in August 2021, which followed the criticized withdrawal of US forces. Since then, the Taliban has enacted over 70 decrees and practices aimed at curtailing women's freedoms, severely limiting their rights and participation in society.

Women in Afghanistan currently face strict restrictions, including prohibitions against speaking loudly in their homes or in public. They are also required to cover their faces to avoid "tempting others" and are forbidden from speaking in the presence of men who are not their husbands or close relatives. These oppressive measures have drawn international condemnation and prompted the ICC's decision to issue arrest warrants for the Taliban leaders responsible for these repressive policies.