ICC judges call for independent review of Taliban allegations

ICC judges call for independent review of Taliban allegations

ICC judges have called for the Taliban’s allegations of gender-based violence to be investigated as a separate case and investigation.

The decision was made in mid-July 2026 by a three-member panel of judges from the court’s Pre-Trial Chamber II, according to a report. The judges have asked prosecutors to pursue an independent investigation into “crimes against women and girls in Afghanistan” if the legal conditions are met.

The court’s ongoing investigation into Afghanistan covers events since 2003 and includes allegations involving forces of the former Afghan government, foreign forces including the United States, the Taliban and ISIS-K.

The judges said the Taliban’s actions since the group’s return to power in August 2021 are fundamentally different in nature from violence related to armed conflict and are more related to policies and restrictions imposed on women and girls.

The International Criminal Court had previously issued arrest warrants for Taliban leader Haibatullah Akhundzada and Abdul Hakim Haqqani, the group’s Supreme Court chief, on charges of crimes against humanity in the form of gender-based violence.

However, the ICC’s Office of the Prosecutor has not yet announced a final decision on whether to open a separate investigation and has declined to comment further in response.