Photo by Chris Olszewski (CC BY-SA 4.0)

On December 6, 2025, Australia imposed financial sanctions and travel bans on senior officials of Afghanistan’s Taliban government in response to the country’s declining human rights situation that has targeted women, girls, and minority groups. The sanctions include travel bans, asset freezes, and an arms embargo, as well as restrictions on receiving military-related services.

This is Australia’s first use of the autonomous sanction’s framework for Afghanistan, which was introduced in December 2025, to hold Taliban leaders accountable for violations of human rights.

The Taliban officials that were sanctioned include Sheikh Muhammad Khalid Hanafi, Minister for the Propagation of Virtue and Prevention of Vice; Neda Mohammad Nadeem, Minister of Higher Education; Shaikh-Al-Hadith Mawlawi Abdul-Hakim Sharei, Minister of Justice; and Abdul Hakim Haqqani, Chief Justice of the Supreme Court.

UN experts have described the Taliban’s policies toward women and girls as “gender persecution amounting to crimes against humanity.” Penny Wong, Australia’s Foreign Minister, stated that the listed individuals were involved in oppression of women and girls and in undermining good governance and the rule of law. Wong emphasized that the sanctions framework represents a world-first approach to hold the Taliban accountable.

Australia’s sanctions contribute to a global effort to isolate and hold accountable those responsible for the Taliban’s oppression.