Taliban sanctions hailed as Afghan embassy future shaky
Australia’s decision to impose sanctions on senior Taliban officials has been praised as “principled and timely” in distancing itself from the oppressive regime, but it complicates the way the government deals diplomatically with Afghanistan.
Canberra applied the measures to three Taliban ministers and Afghanistan’s chief justice; This means Australians will be banned from using or dealing with their assets and funds, as well as providing them with weapons or similar services.
Foreign Minister Penny Wong said tough diplomatic action punished the Taliban for “underestimating the rights, freedoms and well-being of Afghan people, especially women and girls.”
The ousted Afghan government’s diplomatic representative in Canberra said the “world-first” autonomous sanctions framework was a step in the right direction in isolating the Taliban.
“This sends a strong message that impunity for crimes against the people of Afghanistan, especially women and girls, will not be tolerated,” the embassy said in a statement on Sunday. he said.
“Australia’s leadership sets a vital precedent for other nations to take similar action to hold the Taliban accountable for their ongoing violations of international law.”
The statement by the embassy, which operates under the banner of the Afghanistan Diplomatic and Consular Missions Coordination Council, comes at a time when its future is uncertain.
Ambassador Wahidullah Waissi, appointed by the government overthrown by the Taliban, continues to stay at the embassy.
However, consular services were disrupted after the Taliban said in July 2024 that it would no longer recognize documents issued by missions from the former republic.
In Senate estimates on Thursday, Senator Wong said there were “practical difficulties” for the embassy to continue operating with diplomatic credentials expiring in 2026.
He said the ministry was still in “good faith” contact with the ambassador.
Senator Wong noted that more than 27,000 Afghans have applied for humanitarian aid to Australia since the Taliban came to power in 2021.
“We recognize that for many in the community, this is not just an embassy issue, but also the harsh and terrible truth that we have an oppressive regime.”
The foreign minister said operating the embassy was risky because the paperwork was not recognized by the ruling Taliban regime and keeping the embassy afloat created financial difficulties.
“We have an obligation to our Australian friends to ensure that this risk does not increase,” he explained.
The embassy stated that the diplomatic missions blacklisted by the Taliban remain “enduring symbols of the legal representation of Afghanistan.”
Australia has already imposed sanctions on 140 individuals and organizations under the United Nations Security Council’s Taliban framework.
The Taliban has deepened its attacks on the rights of women and girls since taking over Afghanistan since the fall of Kabul in 2021, according to Human Rights Watch.
They are also increasingly restricting civic space, censoring, detaining activists and placing LGBTQI Afghans in increasingly desperate situations, the rights group said.
The federal government has similar sanctions on other countries such as Iran, Russia and North Korea.
