Australia imposes sanctions on three Taliban ministers, chief justice

Australia has imposed new financial sanctions and travel restrictions against four members of Afghanistan’s Taliban administration over the worsening human rights situation in the country.

In a statement, Foreign Minister Penny Wong explained that these officials were involved “in the oppression of women and girls and in undermining good governance or the rule of law” under Taliban rule.

The move comes more than three years after Australia withdrew its forces in August 2021, ending its participation in the NATO-led mission that helped train Afghan troops and fought the Taliban following their removal from power two decades earlier.

Since returning to power, the Taliban has faced international condemnation for imposing sweeping limits on the rights of women and girls, including prohibitions on schooling and employment.

In her statement, Wong said the sanctions apply to three Taliban ministers as well as the group’s chief justice as they played roles in curbing women’s access to “education, employment, freedom of movement and the ability to participate in public life.”

She said the action falls under a new sanctions framework that allows Australia to “directly impose its own sanctions and travel bans to increase pressure on the Taliban, targeting the oppression of the Afghan people.”

After the Taliban takeover, Australia evacuated thousands of Afghans—largely women and children—many of whom now depend on humanitarian assistance as Afghanistan continues to struggle with severe economic hardship.