ICC unseals arrest warrants for Taliban education ministers

The International Criminal Court (ICC) has unsealed arrest warrants for two Afghan education ministers, Habibullah Agha and Neda Mohammad Nadeem, on Monday. The warrants, issued on September 9, 2025, are for crimes against humanity, specifically gender-based persecution, linked to policies that have barred girls over 12 from school and excluded women from higher education since the Taliban's return to power in August 2021.

The ICC determined there were reasonable grounds to believe the officials committed these crimes, which included imprisonment, torture, rape, and enforced disappearance of women and girls in Afghanistan from the Taliban's takeover until at least January 20, 2025. The ICC's decision to unseal the warrants comes amid international criticism of the Taliban's worsening oppression of women and girls, with the UN Human Rights Council urging the Taliban to repeal their systematic and unjustifiable discrimination against them.

The Taliban officials are accused of implementing the supreme leader's vision for Afghanistan, which has led to severe mental health issues among Afghans and a ban on women's participation in public life, including employment and access to public spaces.