ICC Limits Afghanistan Probe to Taliban Crimes

International Criminal Court judges have closed the Afghanistan investigation strands concerning alleged crimes by U.S. troops and ISIS-K, leaving the court’s active inquiry focused on alleged Taliban crimes since 2021. Judges said prosecutors had not shown they could effectively investigate allegations beyond the Taliban case; the prosecutor’s office has appealed. Arrest warrants for four Taliban leaders remain in force, and the ruling does not change the ICC’s authority under its founding statute. The decision comes amid U.S. sanctions and opposition to the court’s investigations involving American personnel and Israeli officials, though it is unclear whether the closure will ease Washington’s concerns.