ICC Judges Close Investigations into US Troops in Afghanistan, Focus on Taliban

News Desk

THE HAGUE: Judges at the International Criminal Court (ICC) have formally closed part of the prosecutor’s investigations into alleged crimes committed by United States troops in Afghanistan, shifting their focus solely to actions of the Taliban since 2021, according to court documents released on Friday.

This decision not only ends the inquiry into US military conduct, which had been inactive since 2021, but also halts investigations into the Islamic State Khorasan (ISIS-K) militant group. The ICC prosecutor’s office has indicated that it plans to appeal this ruling, although further details remain undisclosed.

The closure of these investigations marks a significant development in the ongoing legal battle between ICC prosecutors and judges regarding the Afghanistan case. This move follows the imposition of institutional sanctions by the US against the court, which stemmed from its opposition to arrest warrants issued for Israeli officials and the investigation into US soldiers’ actions in Afghanistan.

Looking ahead, the ICC judges have previously mandated that the Afghanistan inquiries be divided into two distinct probes, with one concentrating on alleged crimes committed by the Taliban. The implications of this decision could reverberate through international relations, particularly as the ICC navigates its contentious relationship with the US and other nations regarding accountability for war crimes.