International

The Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court asks for arrest warrants for two Taliban leaders for gender persecution in Afghanistan

The prosecutor of the International Criminal Court (ICC), Karim Khan, requested on Thursday the judges to approve two arrest warrants, one against the supreme leader of the Taliban, Haibatullah Akhundzada, and another against the president of the Supreme Court, Abdul Hakim Haqqani, for persecution on gender reasons in Afghanistan.

The prosecutor claims to have “reasonable reasons” to consider both “criminally responsible” for a crime against humanity throughout the territory of Afghanistan since August 15, 2021 for persecuting Afghan girls and women, and people whom the Taliban perceived as “not in accordance with their ideological expectations of identity or gender expression,” or “as allies of girls and women.”

“This ongoing persecution entails numerous and serious deprivations of the fundamental rights of victims, contrary to international law, including the right to physical integrity and autonomy, freedom of movement and expression, education, private and family life and freedom of assembly,” Khan denounced.

In addition, the prosecutor stressed that perceived resistance or opposition to the Taliban “was, and is, brutally repressed by committing crimes that include murder, imprisonment, torture, rape and other forms of sexual violence, enforced disappearance and other inhumane acts.”

These are the first arrest warrants requested by the prosecutor as part of his investigation into serious crimes in Afghanistan, although he assures that he will “soon file more requests for other senior Taliban officials.”

20260224_estafa_mh_728x90

Among the evidence his office is audiovisual material, official decrees, forensic reports, as well as testimonies from experts and witnesses, and statements from the suspects themselves and other representatives of the Taliban.

“These requests recognize that Afghan women and girls, as well as the LGBTQI+ community, face unprecedented, inadmissible and ongoing persecution by the Taliban. Our action indicates that the status quo for women and girls in Afghanistan is not acceptable. Afghan survivors, particularly women and girls, deserve to be held accountable to a court of justice,” the prosecutor warned.

At the end of November, Chile, Costa Rica, Spain, France, Luxembourg and Mexico expressed their “concern about the serious deterioration of the human rights situation in Afghanistan, especially for women and girls” and asked the prosecutor to consider “the crimes against women and girls” committed by the Taliban.

Khan assured them that gender persecution is already included in his investigation and promised to announce results “soon.”

“The interpretation of Sharia by the Taliban should not and cannot be used to justify the deprivation of fundamental human rights or the commission of related crimes contemplated in the Rome Statute (ICC treaty),” he warned on Thursday, waiting for the judges to authorize the arrest warrants against the Taliban leaders.

20260224_estafa_mh_728x90

In 2020, the ICC prosecutor’s office obtained unanimous authorization from judges to begin investigating alleged crimes committed in the territory of Afghanistan since 1 May 2003, as well as crimes related to the armed conflict and the situation in Afghanistan, which were committed in the territory of other States party to the ICC since July 2002.

The previous Afghan government challenged the admissibility of the investigation, but on October 31, 2022, after the Taliban seized power, the prosecutor’s office has resumed the case and “has been carrying out an independent, impartial and solid investigation” of the crimes in Afghanistan.

However, Khan will only focus his efforts on investigating the crimes allegedly committed by the Taliban and the Islamic State subsidiary (IS-Khorasan) group, leaving other aspects in the background, such as the alleged crimes committed by American soldiers.

International

Two killed in shooting at restaurant near Frankfurt Airport

Two people were shot dead early Tuesday at a restaurant in Raunheim, near Frankfurt Airport, according to local police.

Preliminary findings indicate that an armed individual entered the establishment at around 03:45 local time (02:45 GMT) and opened fire on the victims, who died at the scene from their injuries.

The suspect fled and remains at large, while the motive behind the shooting is still unclear, German media reported. Authorities have launched a large-scale search operation.

International

U.S. counterterrorism chief resigns over opposition to war in Iran

Joe Kent, director of the National Counterterrorism Center, announced Tuesday that he has resigned from his post, citing his opposition to the ongoing war in Iran.

In a post on X, Kent said he could not, “in good conscience,” support the conflict, arguing that Iran did not pose an imminent threat to the United States. He also claimed that the war was driven by pressure from Israel and its lobbying influence in Washington.

In a resignation letter addressed to Donald Trump, Kent alleged that at the start of the current administration, senior Israeli officials and influential figures in U.S. media carried out a disinformation campaign that undermined the “America First” platform and fostered pro-war sentiment aimed at triggering a conflict with Iran.

Kent further stated that he could not support sending a new generation of Americans to “fight and die in a war that provides no benefit to the American people and does not justify the cost in American lives.”

Since the United States and Israel launched attacks against Iran on February 28, at least 13 U.S. service members have been killed, while 10 others have been seriously wounded and around 200 have sustained minor injuries, according to a report published by The Wall Street Journal.

20260224_estafa_mh_728x90

International

German president warns Iran war could spread and disrupt Strait of Hormuz

The president of Germany, Frank-Walter Steinmeier, warned Monday that the war involving Iran could expand and further disrupt shipping through the strategic Strait of Hormuz. He urged a swift end to hostilities between Iran, United States and Israel.

Speaking in Panama City during a joint appearance with Panamanian President José Raúl Mulino, Steinmeier said available information suggests Iran has significant capacity to disrupt maritime traffic through the key oil route.

“Iran has considerable potential to interfere with shipping through the Strait of Hormuz,” Steinmeier said through an interpreter. “We should therefore reach an end to the hostilities as soon as possible and call on all parties involved to make that happen.”

The remarks came during Steinmeier’s visit to Panama, the first by a German president to the Central American nation.

The German leader described the possibility of the conflict spreading as “very dangerous,” saying recent developments indicate that such a scenario cannot be ruled out.

20260224_estafa_mh_728x90

Over the weekend, U.S. President Donald Trump urged allied nations to help ensure safe passage for ships through the Strait of Hormuz after Iran moved to block the waterway in response to U.S. strikes. However, several allies—particularly in Europe—have shown little support for the proposal.

“Some are very enthusiastic, others are not, and some are countries we have helped for many years,” Trump told reporters at the White House. “We have protected them from terrible external threats, and they’re not that enthusiastic. And the level of enthusiasm is important to me.”

Meanwhile, Kaja Kallas, the European Union’s top diplomat, said the Strait of Hormuz falls “outside NATO’s scope” and stressed that “the war involving Iran is not Europe’s war.”