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Islamabad — Afghanistan’s radical Taliban leaders on Thursday rejected the jurisdiction of the International Criminal Court (ICC) over their country, declaring as ‘unlawful’ the decision in 2003 by their predecessors to join the Hague-based court’s founding treaty.

The decision follows the ICC chief prosecutor’s announcement last month, seeking arrest warrants for the reclusive Taliban supreme leader, Hibatullah Akhundzada, and a close associate, accusing them both of being “criminally responsible for persecuting Afghan girls and women.”

The Taliban militarily regained power in August 2021, succeeding the internationally recognized government in Kabul, which collapsed alongside the withdrawal of U.S.-led NATO troops after nearly two decades in Afghanistan.

The Taliban, now governing as the Islamic Emirate, have imposed their strict interpretation of Islamic law, known as Sharia, placing sweeping restrictions on freedom of speech and women’s access to education and public roles in society.

No country has recognized the Taliban as a legitimate government primarily over their harsh treatment of Afghan women and girls.

“As an entity that upholds the religious and national values of the Afghan people within the framework of Islamic Sharia, the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan does not recognize any obligation to the Rome Statute or the institution referred to as the ‘International Criminal Court,’” the Taliban stated in an English-language declaration.

It accused the ICC of political bias and failing to take any “substantive measures against the war crimes perpetrated in Afghanistan by occupying forces and their allies.”

“Given that many of the world’s major powers are not signatories to this ‘court,’ it is unwarranted for a nation such as Afghanistan, which has historically endured foreign occupation and colonial subjugation, to be bound by its jurisdiction,” the Taliban asserted.

In October 2001, Western forces led by the U.S. invaded Afghanistan, overthrowing the then-Taliban government for sheltering al-Qaida leaders held responsible for the terrorist attacks in the United States that occurred in September of that year.

In February 2003, the Washington-backed successive government in Kabul formally deposited its instrument of accession to the Rome Statute, which founded the ICC, thereby granting the court jurisdiction over crimes committed within its territory or by Afghan nationals.

“In light of the aforementioned considerations, the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan formally asserts that it does not recognize any legal obligation under the Rome Statute and deems the previous administration’s accession to this statute to be devoid of legal validity,” said Thursday’s Taliban statement.

Karim Khan, the ICC prosecutor, stated in his January 23 announcement that his decision to seek arrest warrants for Akhundzada and Taliban chief justice, Abdul Hakim Haqqani, was based on a thorough investigation and evidence collected into their alleged crimes against humanity.

The ICC is mandated to rule on the world’s worst offenses, such as war crimes and crimes against humanity. The court has no police force and relies on 125 member states to execute its arrest warrants.

Akhundzada seldom leaves his office in the southern Afghan city of Kandahar and rules the country through religious decrees. He has banned girls’ education beyond the sixth grade and prohibited women from most public as well as private sector employment, among other restrictions on their rights.

In a speech he delivered in Kandahar last week, the Taliban chief again dismissed criticism of his governance, asserting that it was rooted in divine commands. A government spokesperson quoted Akhundzada as stating that “every decree he issues is based on consultation with scholars and derived from the Quran and Hadith [sayings of Islam’s prophet] and represents commands of Allah.”

British Couple Arrested by Taliban in Afghanistan, Family Says

February 24, 2025 Current News Articles

By Megan Specia

Reporting from London

The New York Times

Feb. 24, 2025, 1:03 p.m. ET

A Peter and Barbie Reynolds were arrested on Feb. 1, their children told U.K. news outlets. The couple had run an education company in Afghanistan for almost two decades.

A man with a beard and glasses stands next to a woman with a purple head scarf.

An undated photograph of Peter and Barbie Reynolds. The couple were arrested when returning to their home in the country’s Bamiyan province, their children said.Credit…via Rebuild Consultants

British couple who spent almost two decades running education programs in Afghanistan were detained by the Taliban earlier this month, their children said in interviews with a number of British news outlets.

The couple, Peter Reynolds and Barbie Reynolds, were arrested on Feb. 1 when returning to their home in the country’s Bamiyan province, according to accounts first given to The Sunday Times of London. The pair, who are in their 70s, have long run a program that offers education and training in Afghanistan.

After the Taliban takeover in Afghanistan in 2021 and the withdrawal of Western troops from the country, Mr. Reynolds and Ms. Reynolds decided to stay despite the potential risk, according to one of their four children.

“They were just trying to help the country they loved,” Sarah Entwistle, the couple’s eldest daughter, told The Sunday Times.

When the Taliban came to power, it imposed an Islamic republic government and rolled back rights for women and other groups, including restricting access to education for women after the sixth grade. Women are also banned from most workplaces, and public spaces like parks, gyms and salons under Taliban law.

Ms. Entwistle told the BBC that she and her siblings were able to message their parents for a few days after their arrest. Her parents told them they were being held by the interior ministry but were fine, she said. But she added that she has not heard from them in over two weeks and said she feared for their well-being because of their age and because her father is currently taking medication, after recently suffering from a stroke.

Mr. Reynolds, 79, and Ms. Reynolds, 75, were working on a number of educational projects as part of Rebuild, a research and training company that they founded in 2009. One program helped to teach parenting skills to mothers, according to their daughter. “The idea they are being held because they were teaching mothers with children is outrageous,” Ms. Entwistle told The Sunday Times.

The couple’s connection to Afghanistan extends back to their youth. According to their development company’s website, they married there more than 50 years ago. Rebuild is based in Kabul, but has programs across the country.

“Under the new Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan, Rebuild has grown and developed new enterprises with new staff, eager to help and support their country’s future,” the company website reads. In a video on the website, published months after the Taliban took control, Mr. Reynolds explains the practical training they offer. Footage shows women in head scarves and men taking part in courses, including “communication skills” and management training. In other clips, children are shown apparently learning the alphabet.

The couple’s children have written to the Taliban, in a letter shared with The Associated Press, urging them to release Mr. and Ms. Reynolds.

“They have always been open about their presence and their work, diligently respecting and obeying the laws as they change,” their children wrote. “They have chosen Afghanistan as their home, rather than with family in England, and they wish to spend the rest of their lives in Afghanistan.”

In their letter, the family said that the Taliban were aware of the couple’s work and had previously supported their training efforts.

“We kindly ask for the release of our father and mother so they can return to their work in teaching, training and serving Afghanistan, which you have previously supported.”

The Taliban government and local officials in Bamiyan did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

A spokesperson for Britain’s Foreign Office confirmed in an emailed statement that it is “supporting the family of two British nationals who are detained in Afghanistan,” but declined to provide further details.

The foreign office advises against all travel to Afghanistan, pointing to a “heightened risk of British nationals being detained” and to the British government’s “extremely limited” ability to help those in need of consular support, as it has no embassy or diplomatic relationship with the Taliban.

The United States also has no diplomatic representatives in the country and has likewise warned against travel to Afghanistan by American citizens. A number of Westerners have been detained in the country since the Taliban seized control, and two Americans were freed in a prisoner swap in January.

Safiullah Padshah contributed reporting

British Couple in their 70s arrested in Bamyan for educational activities

February 24, 2025 Current News Articles

By Fidel Rahmati

Khaama Press

February 24, 2025

The Taliban have arrested an elderly British couple in Bamyan province, who were responsible for several educational projects aimed at children and mothers. The couple had been working in Afghanistan for many years.

According to BBC News, the couple was detained on February 23 while returning to their home in Bamyan. The arrest occurred during their routine trip back after working on their projects.

The couple had initiated five educational projects in Kabul and another in Bamyan. These projects were designed to support local children and mothers, focusing on education and community development.

Sara Entwistle, the daughter of the couple, spoke to a British media outlet and explained that her parents had been active in educational work in Afghanistan for the past 18 years. They were passionate about helping the country they loved.

Sara emphasized that her parents’ sole intention was to assist the people of Afghanistan, stating, “They only tried to help a country they cared deeply about.” Their dedication to education was central to their mission in Afghanistan.

In an attempt to secure their release, the children of the couple have written a letter to the Taliban, urging them to free their parents. The family remains hopeful for a positive outcome.

So far, the Taliban have not made any official statements regarding the arrest of the couple. This raises concerns, as the Taliban had previously detained foreign citizens in connection with humanitarian aid efforts in Afghanistan.

The arrest of this British couple reflects the ongoing uncertainty and challenges for foreign nationals in Afghanistan, particularly those involved in humanitarian and educational work. The situation remains tense, and the international community is closely monitoring the developments.

Richard Bennett: ICC arrest warrant request gives hope to women and girls in Afghanistan

February 24, 2025 Current News Articles

By Fidel Rahmati

Khaama Press

February 24, 2025

The 12th Herat Security Dialogue began today in Madrid, with scholars, diplomats, and human rights activists attending. UN Special Rapporteur Richard Bennett highlighted the ICC’s arrest warrant request, offering hope to Afghan women and girls.

The UN Special Rapporteur on Human Rights for Afghanistan, Richard Bennett, stated that the request for an arrest warrant against the Taliban leader from the International Criminal Court (ICC) has given hope to Afghanistan’s women and girls.

During the 12th Herat Security Dialogue conference held in Madrid, Bennett emphasized that the request from the ICC prosecutor has encouraged women and girls, who have been most affected by the Taliban’s restrictions, to continue fighting for their rights.

Mr. Bennett remarked that for years, it was said that words and condemnation were not enough; action was needed against the Taliban’s restrictions. He considered the arrest warrant request as a significant step in this regard.

Bennett added that if the arrest warrants for the Taliban’s leader and chief justice are issued, it would make it difficult for the world to improve relations with the group and recognize them. This would send a clear message that the Taliban is far from gaining international recognition.

Furthermore, Bennett stressed that the situation of women and girls in Afghanistan must be an integral part of any peace and negotiation process in Afghanistan. He noted that while the world is facing a regression in women’s rights, the deterioration of women’s conditions in Afghanistan is unparalleled by any other country.

The 12th Herat Security Dialogue, which is held annually by the Institute of Strategic Studies Afghanistan, began on Monday, February 24, in Madrid, Spain. Experts, former Afghanistan government officials, human rights activists, and politicians have gathered to discuss Afghanistan’s security outlook and future.

The conference also saw the participation of some U.S. diplomats and regional politicians, emphasizing the international importance of addressing the challenges facing Afghanistan.

In light of these discussions, it is evident that the situation of Afghanistan women remains a critical point of focus for the international community.

The international community must ensure that Afghanistan’s women and girls are not forgotten in global conversations about peace and human rights. It is vital that countries continue to demand accountability and support Afghanistan women in their ongoing fight for equality and dignity.

UN, Japan Sign Agreement to Support Displaced Afghans

February 24, 2025 Current News Articles

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February 24, 2025 Current News Articles

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UNICEF: Over 19 million Afghans, half of them children, receive Humanitarian Aid

February 23, 2025 Current News Articles

By Fidel Rahmati

Khaama Press

February 23, 2025

The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) announced that over 19 million people in Afghanistan benefited from the organization’s humanitarian aid last year, with more than half of them being children.

In a recent report, UNICEF stated that the aid provided covered various sectors, including health, education, nutrition, water sanitation, social protection, and child protection.

Tajuddeen Oyewale, the head of UNICEF’s office in Kabul, announced on Sunday, February 23 that in 2024, approximately 23.7 million people in Afghanistan, including 12.6 million children, would require humanitarian assistance due to issues such as prolonged conflicts, the return of Afghan migrants from Pakistan, climate change, and the economic crisis.

The report also mentioned that UNICEF provided vital medical services to 628,000 children under the age of five suffering from severe malnutrition, resulting in an 80% improvement in their conditions.

UNICEF emphasized that the restrictions imposed on women and girls in Afghanistan have exacerbated humanitarian challenges. The organization warned that excluding women from various aspects of life, including education and the labor market, has not only worsened the economic crisis but also increased social and security risks.

According to the UNICEF report, the organization requested $1.44 billion in humanitarian aid for Afghanistan from the international community in 2024, but only 56% of this budget was fulfilled.

Despite ongoing needs, international aid to Afghanistan has decreased, raising concerns about the continuation of humanitarian programs in the country.

UNICEF’s report highlights the critical and growing humanitarian needs in Afghanistan, especially among children, and underscores the challenges faced by international aid organizations. With continued restrictions and a decline in global funding, the future of humanitarian efforts in Afghanistan remains uncertain, and further support from the international community is urgently needed.

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