Erika Guevara-Rosas, a senior director at Amnesty International, has described the recent International Criminal Court (ICC) warrant for the arrest of senior Taliban officials as a "milestone for international justice." She stressed that perpetrators of gender apartheid and the persecution of women must not go unpunished.
Ms. Guevara-Rosas, who is Amnesty International's Senior Director for Research, Advocacy, Policy and Campaigns, wrote on the social media platform X that the ICC's ruling clarifies that gender persecution is not limited to physical acts of violence.
She added that this persecution can also be systematically enforced through the imposition of discriminatory gender norms designed with the fundamental purpose of stripping individuals of their rights, freedom, and agency. This approach by the court provides a oader definition of crimes against humanity.
The Amnesty official stated that this ruling is significant not only for Afghanistan but also beyond its borders. Referring directly to the situation in Afghanistan under Taliban rule, she said that defying imposed gender norms is not a crime, but the systematic persecution of individuals for defying those norms is.
Erika Guevara-Rosas concluded by emphasizing that those responsible for implementing such discriminatory policies and gender inequality must be held accountable under international law, and this warrant is a significant step towards achieving that accountability.
This reaction follows the issuance of arrest warrants by the ICC's Pre-Trial Chamber II for three senior Taliban officials on charges of crimes against humanity, particularly gender persecution against women and girls.
Source: Zarin TV
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