Australia Sanctions Four Senior Taliban Officials Over Human Rights Abuses

Australia Imposes Targeted Sanctions on Taliban Leadership

Australia has announced the imposition of targeted financial sanctions and travel bans on four senior officials within Afghanistan's Taliban administration. The measures, which officially took effect on Saturday, December 6, 2025, are a direct response to the Taliban's systematic dismantling of human rights, with a particular focus on the severe oppression of Afghan women and girls.

Foreign Minister Penny Wong stated that the Australian government remains 'deeply concerned' at the deteriorating situation in Afghanistan and that the Taliban continues to demonstrate 'contempt for the rights, freedoms and welfare of the Afghan people, particularly women and girls'.

Key Officials Targeted and Sanction Details

The sanctions target three Taliban ministers and the regime's chief justice. The individuals named are:

• Abdul Hakim Haqqani, Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Afghanistan
• Muhammad Khalid Hanafi, Minister for the Propagation of Virtue and Prevention of Vice
• Neda Mohammad Nadeem, Minister of Higher Education
• Abdul-Hakim Sharei, Minister of Justice

Under these new prohibitions, Australian citizens and entities are barred from supplying arms or related services to the sanctioned officials. Furthermore, the measures impose a strict freeze on assets, prohibiting any dealing with funds or economic resources owned or controlled by the targeted individuals. They are also prohibited from entering, travelling to, or remaining in Australia.

Reasons for the Sanctions: Oppression of Women and Girls

The sanctions were enacted due to the officials' direct involvement in policies that restrict the rights and freedoms of Afghan women and girls.

• Abdul Hakim Haqqani is accused of manipulating the law to effectively exclude women from undertaking positions as judges and issuing guidance to strip women of the right to partake in public life. The International Criminal Court (ICC) has reportedly issued an arrest warrant for Haqqani based on allegations of crimes against humanity, specifically citing his role in the persecution of women, girls, and individuals who do not conform to the Taliban's rigid gender policies.
• Muhammad Khalid Hanafi has published decrees that heavily limit the rights of women and girls to freedom of expression, imposing gender-segregated timetables for the utilisation of public spaces, and disproportionate punishments for not adhering to the Taliban's rules.
• Neda Mohammad Nadeem took the step of banning Afghan women from accessing universities in 2022, a decision that drew global outrage.
• Abdul-Hakim Sharei is accused of removing women's access to legal representation and ending the domestic application of the Law on the Elimination of Violence against Women through an unconstitutional overhaul of the Afghan legislative system.

Australia's New Autonomous Sanctions Framework

These measures represent a strategic shift by the Australian government, utilising a newly established legal framework designed specifically to isolate individuals responsible for egregious violations of international norms. Australia has established a 'world-first autonomous sanctions framework for Afghanistan,' allowing Canberra to directly impose its own sanctions and travel bans to increase pressure on the Taliban, moving beyond solely relying on United Nations Security Council mechanisms. This framework also includes an arms embargo and broader financial prohibitions.

Australia has previously sanctioned 140 individuals and entities associated with the Taliban under the UN Security Council's framework. Since the fall of Kabul in 2021, Australia has provided over $260 million in humanitarian assistance to Afghanistan, with a strong focus on supporting women and girls.