After the International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants for Taliban Emir Mullah Haibatullah Akhundzada and Chief Justice Abdul Hakim Haqqani for human rights abuses, the Taliban rejected the legitimacy of the court and described the action as an attack against Islam.

The International Criminal Court on Tuesday issued arrest warrants for two top Taliban leaders, accusing them of persecuting girls and women in Afghanistan.

The ICC’s Pre-Trial Chamber concluded there is sufficient reason to believe that Akhundzada and Haqqani bear responsibility for these sweeping and systemic abuses, prompting the issuance of arrest warrants.