Kabul Defies ICC After Warrants Name 4 Taliban Leaders
Denouncing the step as a “clear violation of Afghanistan’s national sovereignty, independence,” the Afghan Foreign Ministry accused the court of pursuing a “selective and politicized” approach.
On Monday, ICC Pre-Trial Chamber II made public warrants for Haibatullah Akhundzada, Abdul Hakim Haqqani, Habibullah Agha and Neda Mohammad Nadim, all senior Taliban figures. Judges issued the warrants on July 8 and Sept. 9, 2025. They cover alleged crimes against humanity, including persecution on gender and political grounds.
According to the ICC, the alleged offenses took place from the Taliban's return to power on Aug. 15, 2021, through at least Jan. 20, 2025.
The ministry said the court's “efforts to use international judicial mechanisms for political purposes, have raised serious concerns regarding its impartiality and credibility,” and declared that Kabul has “no form of cooperation or engagement with the said entity (ICC) and categorically rejects any jurisdiction it purports to exercise over” Afghanistan.
It also dismissed any link to the previous government. “The entity’s previous association with the former administration (pre-Taliban era), which was established under foreign occupation, has no legal validity for present-day independent Afghanistan,” the ministry added.
Insisting that Afghanistan's “sovereignty, independence, and the Afghan people’s sovereign domestic choices” be “respected,” the ministry said Kabul remains “ready to engage with the international community in a constructive and meaningful manner based on mutual respect.”
The statement closed with a warning: “Interference in the country’s internal affairs, the imposition of judicial jurisdiction, and any attempt to exert political pressure are unacceptable,” it added.
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