Australia Considers Targeted Sanctions Against Taliban Over Human Rights Abuses
The Australian government has announced a review of its autonomous sanctions regime, signaling the possibility of new punitive measures against the Taliban. The review aims to create avenues for action against serious human rights violators and to increase accountability among individuals and entities implicated in such abuses.
Human Rights Watch welcomed the initiative, calling it a significant step toward holding Taliban officials and other perpetrators of rights violations in Afghanistan accountable. According to the organization, the revised sanctions regime would allow Australia to impose travel bans and asset freezes on individuals involved in the repression of women, girls, and minorities, or those undermining the rule of law.
Human Rights Watch further stated that the Taliban has intensified its repression of women and girls since regaining control of Afghanistan in August 2021—a policy the group describes as a crime against humanity and a form of gender persecution. The Taliban’s rule has also been characterized by restrictions on civil liberties, media censorship, and the detention and torture of journalists and civil rights activists.
The organization’s statement also noted that ISIS-affiliated groups, alongside the Taliban administration, have been involved in violent attacks against minorities, including Hazara Shia, resulting in hundreds of deaths and injuries from bombings.
Danielle Gauthier, Australia Director at Human Rights Watch, emphasized that imposing sanctions on Taliban leaders would not only reflect a principled foreign policy but also raise the costs of committing human rights violations. She urged the Australian government to coordinate with like-minded countries in applying pressure on the Taliban to respect human rights.
