The ICC is Pursuing Charges of Gender Persecution Against the Taliban. Will it Succeed?

A decision by the International Criminal Court (ICC) to pursue arrest warrants against senior Taliban leaders could reshape how the world responds to authoritarian regimes that systematically strip women and girls of basic human rights.

In January, ICC Prosecutor Karim Khan announced that his office is seeking arrest warrants for two Taliban officials on charges of crimes against humanity for gender-based persecution—marking the first time this charge is being tested in the court’s history and the first serious legal effort to hold perpetrators accountable.

About the Author

Reid Newton

Reid Newton

Reid Newton is a writer and Lead Editor of Middle East Uncovered at Ideas Beyond Borders, where she covers foreign policy and the people shaping the region’s future. Her work has appeared in The Hill, Queer Majority, and More To Her Story, and she also ghostwrites for prominent figures in outlets including The Washington Post and The Telegraph.