Australia Sanctions 4 Taliban Officials Over Human Rights Violations

DID Press: Australia imposed financial sanctions and travel bans on four Taliban officials, including three ministers and the head of the judiciary. Canberra described the move as a response to the “deteriorating human rights situation, especially for women and girls” in Afghanistan.

Penny Wong, Australia’s Foreign Minister, announced on Saturday (Dec. 6) that these officials have been involved in “the suppression of women and girls and the weakening of good governance or the rule of law.” According to her, the aim of these sanctions is to increase pressure on Taliban human rights violators under Australia’s new government mechanism.

Since the Taliban regained power in Afghanistan, strict restrictions have been imposed on women and girls, including bans on education, employment, and movement—a policy that has drawn widespread international criticism. The Taliban claim they are respecting women’s rights according to “their interpretation of Sharia and local customs.”

Australia, which, along with other NATO forces, left Afghanistan in August 2021, evacuated and resettled thousands of Afghan citizens—mostly women and children—after the Taliban took over. Currently, a large portion of the Afghan population depends on humanitarian aid for survival.