The International Criminal Court has terminated its investigation into allegations of crimes committed by US forces in Afghanistan. At the same time, judges ruled that allegations against the Taliban will be handled in a separate and independent probe.
The decision was finalized on Thursday and publicly released on Friday. Judges stated that considerable constraints prevented prosecutors from carrying out effective investigative work and gathering critical evidence regarding US personnel.
According to the Associated Press, the ICC Office of the Prosecutor confirmed it had previously opposed the move. The court did not provide further operational details about the exact obstacles encountered.
The ruling comes as the ICC and 13 current and former staff members face sanctions imposed by the Donald Trump administration. The United States opposes investigations targeting American citizens or allies such as Israel.
Washington is not a member of the Rome Statute and refuses to recognize the tribunal's jurisdiction. The broad inquiry into actions since 2002 by Afghan forces, the Taliban, and US military and CIA personnel was authorized in 2020.
In 2022, former chief prosecutor Karim Khan deprioritized aspects of the probe involving American nationals due to evidentiary hurdles. Khan was subsequently sidelined earlier this year following allegations of sexual misconduct.
Last month, the court unsealed arrest warrants for four senior Taliban officials. The named figures face charges of crimes against humanity relating to persecution based on gender since the group took power in 2021.
Source: Associated Press
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