Afghan Taliban supporters rally against arrest warrant requests

In central Afghanistan, some 200 supporters of the Taliban rallied on January 26th against the International Criminal Court chief prosecutor’s requested arrest warrants for two leaders of the Taliban, Arab News via AFP reported.

The rally took place following the ICC’s announcement on January 23rd that chief prosecutor Karim Khan was requesting arrest warrants for Taliban Supreme Leader Hibatullah Akhundzada and Chief Justice Abdul Hakim Haqqani over the issue of women being persecuted.

The Taliban government has enforced a collection of constraints on women and girls, which the United Nationals has referred to as “gender apartheid,” since gaining power in 2021.

Protestors in Ghazni city denounced Khan’s decision, saying slogans such as “Death to America” and “long live the Islamic Emirate,” which is what the Taliban authorities’ call their government. 

Ghazni resident Noorulhaq Omar said: “We have gathered here to show the West that their decision is cruel and rejected by Afghans.”

In reference to Akhundzada, Omar added: “It will never be accepted because the Afghan nation will sacrifice their life for their emir.” 

Ghazni province’s head of the information and culture department, Hamidullah Nisar, was also present at the rally. 

Nisar said: “We totally reject what the ICC has said against the leadership of the Islamic Emirate, and we want them to take back their words.”

Since the takeover of the Taliban, the majority of demonstrations have been repressed, except those led by the supporters of the authorities’.

The Taliban government of Afghanistan said that Khan’s arrest warrant requests were “politically motivated.”

Afghan’s foreign ministry On January 24th said that it “strongly condemns” and rejects the ICC’s request for arrest warrants, Reuters reported.

Activists and rights groups have commended ICC’s actions. 

Arab News via AFP, Reuters