ICC unseals arrest warrants for Taliban education ministers

The warrants, for Habibullah Agha, minister of education, and Neda Mohammad Nadeem, minister of higher education, were issued on September 9, 2025 and remained under seal until Monday. The other warrant unsealed is against Neda Mohammad Nadeem, minister for higher education © Wakil Kohsar / AFP/File The two officials are accused of gender-based persecution linked to policies that have barred girls aged over 12 from school and excluded women from higher education following the Taliban's return to power in August 2021.The ICC warrants were likely to increase international pressure on the Taliban government.AFP has approached Taliban authorities for comment.The two warrants against the ministers were issued after the ICC, in July 2025, authorised warrants for Afghanistan's Supreme Taliban Leader Haibatullah Akhundzada and Supreme Court President Abdul Hakim Haqqani, parts of which have been made public.Both Agha and Nadeem have played key roles in implementing the supreme leader's vision for Afghanistan. Afghan girls are banned from attending school above primary level © Omer ABRAR / AFP/File "There are reasonable grounds to believe" the suspects committed "the crime against humanity ...