Report: ICC Issues Two More Secret Arrest Warrants for Taliban Officials
The website Middle East Eye has reported that the International Criminal Court has issued two more secret arrest warrants for two Taliban officials as part of its ongoing judicial pursuit of Taliban authorities. According to the report, the identities of the two individuals have not been made public so that the proceedings can remain confidential.
Citing confidential documents and informed sources, the media outlet wrote on Tuesday, 20 August, that the warrants were issued by a panel of three judges at the International Criminal Court. Middle East Eye said the decision was made several months after public arrest warrants were issued for Hibatullah Akhundzada and Abdul Hakim Haqqani.
According to the report, confidential documents obtained by the website show that the new warrants were issued on the basis of new evidence and new alleged victims. However, no further details have been released about the identities of the officials covered by these warrants.
In 2025, the International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants for Hibatullah Akhundzada, the Taliban administration’s leader, and Abdul Hakim Haqqani, the head of its Supreme Court, based on a request and evidence presented by Karim Khan, the court’s former chief prosecutor. The process intensified after six countries — Chile, Costa Rica, Spain, France, Luxembourg and Mexico — filed a complaint against the Taliban administration at the court in 2024.
In that complaint, the Taliban administration was accused of using its power structure to implement systematic, gender-based discriminatory policies and conduct against women and the LGBTQ community. The International Criminal Court is a judicial body based in The Hague, Netherlands, that handles cases involving serious international crimes.
