ICC issues arrest warrants for Taliban leaders over persecution of women

The International Criminal Court on Tuesday issued arrest warrants for two Taliban leaders in Afghanistan including supreme spiritual leader Haibatullah Akhundzada, accusing them of the persecution of women and girls.

The ICC said there are reasonable grounds to believe that Akhundzada and Abdul Hakim Haqqani, Chief Justice of the Taliban, have committed the 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.

– US may put 'very big bounty' on Taliban leaders, Secretary of State Rubio says –

Earlier, Rubio said on Saturday, adding he was hearing that the Taliban held more American hostages than previously reported.

"Just hearing the Taliban is holding more American hostages than has been reported," Rubio said in a post on social media platform X.

"If this is true, we will have to immediately place a VERY BIG bounty on their top leaders, maybe even bigger than the one we had on Bin Laden," he added, opens new tab.