The Chief Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court (ICC) announced that arrest warrants have been issued for Hibatullah Akhundzada, the leader of the Taliban, and Abdul Hakim Haqqani, the Taliban’s chief justice.

Prosecutor has sought arrest warrants for Taliban's supreme leader Hibatullah Akhundzada, Afghan interim Chief Justice Abdul Hakim Haqqani - Anadolu Ajansı

The Hague-based ICC is mandated to rule on the world’s worst offenses, such as war crimes and crimes against humanity. The court has no police force and relies on its 125 member states to execute its arrest warrants. Taliban officials did not immediately offer any response to the ICC announcement.

The Taliban claimed the ICC should “not attempt to impose a particular interpretation of human rights on the entire world and ignore the religious and national values of people..."

The Taliban has condemned the International Criminal Court's decision to issue arrest warrants for two top officials for persecuting women, calling the accusations groundless. The Afghan Women's Movement welcomed the ICC's action as a historical achievement,

The Afghanistan probe is one of the longest by ICC prosecutors and has been beset by legal and practical delays.

Karim Khan said in a statement he asked judges to approve warrants for the group’s supreme leader, Hibatullah Akhunzada, and the head of Afghanistan's Supreme Court, Abdul Hakim Haqqani, accusing the men of crimes against humanity for gender-based persecution.

The Taliban Friday rejected a court move to arrest two of their top officials for persecuting women, accusing the court of baseless accusations and misbehavior. The International Criminal Court’s chief prosecutor Karim Khan announced Thursday he had requested arrest warrants for two top Taliban officials, including the leader Hibatullah Akhundzada.

The International Criminal Court’s (ICC) chief prosecutor Karim Khan ... including the leader Hibatullah Akhundzada. Since they took back control of the country in 2021, the Taliban have barred ...

The Taliban Friday rejected a court move to arrest two of their top officials for persecuting women, accusing the court of baseless accusations and misbehavior. The International Criminal Court’s chief prosecutor Karim Khan announced Thursday he had requested arrest warrants for two top Taliban officials, including the leader Hibatullah Akhundzada.

The International Criminal Court, a U.N. agency, has to approve the warrants. They've been condemned by the Taliban and welcomed by Afghan women and their advocates — with some reservations.