Taliban Condemns UN Sanctions Update as “Blatant Injustice”

DID Press: Taliban has described the recent update of United Nations Security Council sanctions against its senior officials as “irrational and ineffective,” calling for the restrictions to be lifted.

Spokesperson Zabihullah Mujahid said the sanctions have failed to produce positive change in Afghanistan and instead, in his view, have “undermined the rights of the Afghan people.”

He characterized the measures as a tool of political pressure and argued that years of sanctions have not achieved their intended international objectives.

Mujahid urged the United Nations to remove the restrictions, saying that doing so could help facilitate engagement and understanding between the Taliban authorities and the international community, while warning that continued sanctions hinder Afghanistan’s path toward normalized relations.

The comments come after the UN Security Council sanctions committee announced an update to the listings of four senior Taliban figures, including Mohammad Hassan Akhund, Abdul Ghani Baradar, Amir Khan Muttaqi, and Hedayatullah Badri. The update involved revisions to identity details and official documentation, with no new names added.

The committee had previously released an updated list of 22 Taliban officials, reflecting ongoing monitoring of existing sanctions.

While Taliban officials argue the measures are harming the population, the United Nations and several countries maintain that the sanctions remain necessary due to serious concerns over human rights, particularly restrictions on women and girls, as well as the continued presence of militant groups in Afghanistan.