Canberra stated the Taliban officials are responsible of oppressing girls and ladies, in addition to ‘undermining good governance’.
The Australian authorities has imposed monetary sanctions and journey bans on 4 officials in Afghanistan’s Taliban authorities, citing the deteriorating human rights scenario within the nation, notably for ladies and ladies.
Australia’s Overseas Minister Penny Wong stated in an announcement on Saturday that Canberra had established a “world-first” autonomous sanctions framework for Afghanistan, which might permit it to “immediately impose its personal sanctions and journey bans to extend stress on the Taliban”.
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The brand new framework additionally introduces an arms embargo, Australia’s Division of Overseas Affairs and Commerce stated, in addition to prohibitions on “offering associated companies and actions to Afghanistan”.
The division named the sanctioned Taliban officials as Minister for the Propagation of Advantage and the Prevention of Vice Muhammad Khalid Hanafi; Minister of Greater Schooling Neda Mohammad Nadeem; Minister of Justice Abdul-Hakim Sharei; and Chief Justice Abdul Hakim Haqqani.
The Australian Authorities has established a world-first autonomous sanctions framework for Afghanistan, as a part of our ongoing efforts to carry the Taliban to account.
In impact from at the moment, we’ve got additionally introduced the primary listings beneath the brand new framework.
— Senator Penny Wong (@SenatorWong) December 5, 2025
Wong stated the officials had been sanctioned as a consequence of their involvement “within the oppression of girls and ladies and in undermining good governance or the rule of legislation”.
“This contains proscribing entry to training, employment, freedom of motion and the power to take part in public life,” she stated.
Canberra stated its new framework “builds on” the 140 people and entities it already sanctions as a part of the United Nations Safety Council’s Taliban framework.
Afghanistan’s Taliban authorities is but to publicly reply to Canberra’s newest measures.
In July, the Worldwide Prison Court docket (ICC) issued an arrest warrant for Chief Justice Haqqani, alongside the Taliban’s supreme chief, Haibatullah Akhunzada, for alleged crimes towards humanity for persecuting girls and ladies.
Asserting the sanctions, the ICC stated the Taliban has “severely disadvantaged” women and girls of the rights to training, privateness, household life and the freedoms of motion, expression, thought, conscience and faith.
Since returning to energy following the withdrawal of United States and NATO troops – of which Australia was an element – from Afghanistan in August 2021, the Taliban has enacted extreme restrictions on the rights and freedoms of girls and ladies, together with the correct to work and examine.
The Taliban has rejected accusations of violating women’s rights, claiming they’re revered “throughout the framework of Islamic legislation”.
In December 2022, Afghanistan’s Ministry of Greater Schooling banned female students from the nation’s universities till additional discover, in a transfer extensively condemned by the worldwide neighborhood.
Final 12 months, the UN stated the Taliban authorities had “deliberately deprived” at the very least 1.4 million ladies of their proper to an training throughout its time in energy, completely about 80 p.c of school-age ladies.
Afghans have additionally been plunged further into poverty for the reason that Taliban takeover, fuelled partly by the ban on feminine participation within the office, with huge swaths of the nation’s inhabitants now closely reliant on humanitarian support to outlive.
In her assertion, Wong stated the Australian authorities “stays deeply involved on the deteriorating scenario” within the nation, persevering with {that a} “humanitarian allow” had been carved out within the new sanctions framework, permitting the continued provision of support.
“Our ideas are with these struggling beneath the Taliban’s oppression, in addition to the Afghan neighborhood in Australia,” she stated.
