KABUL — The Taliban administration has issued a sharp rejection of the International Criminal Court (ICC), declaring that the regime does not recognize the tribunal or its jurisdiction. The stance comes in response to international legal actions and arrest warrants targeting top Taliban figures over systematic human rights violations and gender-based persecution.
Taliban chief spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid dismissed the court’s mandates in an official statement, emphasizing that the de facto leadership operates strictly outside the purview of international judicial bodies.
“We are bound by the rulings of Islamic Sharia and its courts, not by intelligence entities or so-called courts,” Mujahid stated. He further called on international judicial institutions to refrain from making claims or issuing rulings that exceed their legal authority.
The rejection highlights the widening gulf between global accountability standards and the Taliban’s internal governance, as international bodies continue efforts to address severe restrictions placed on fundamental rights in Afghanistan.