Taliban condemns latest US sanctions on officials

KABUL: The Taliban condemned the sanctions imposed by the US State Department of the Treasury on two of its officials, stressing that imposing sanctions is not the solution, as reported by TOLO News. The spokesman of the Taliban, Zabiullah Mujahid, posted on X that the US is one of the biggest violators of human rights as it supports Israel.

"While the US is one of the biggest violators of human rights due to its support for Israel, accusing others of violating human rights and imposing sanctions on them is unjustifiable and irrational," he posted. He claimed the sanctions will not impact them negatively in future as they do not have any financial engagement with the US, according to TOLO News.

"These sanctions have no results and if it continues, it will not have any negative impact on the Islamic Emirate and people of Afghanistan because we don't have any financial or commercial engagement with the US," Mujahid added.

Meanwhile, the US Department of Treasury on Friday said in a statement that the Office of Foreign Assets Control 'designated' Fariduddin Mahmood (Mahmood) and Khalid Hanafi (Hanafi) for serious human rights abuse relating to the repression of women and girls, including the restriction of access to secondary education for women and girls in Afghanistan based on gender.

"Mahmood is a member of the Taliban's so-called 'cabinet' that made decisions to close education centres and schools to women and girls after the sixth grade. He serves as the so-called head of the Afghanistan Academy of Sciences and supported the education-related bans on women and girls," the statement released by the Treasury Department read.

"Hanafi serves as the Taliban's so-called "Minister" for the so-called "Ministry for the Propagation of Virtue and Prevention of Vice" (MPVPV)," it added. Members of the MPVPV have been engaged in serious human rights abuse, including killings, abductions, whippings, and beatings, since August 2021, TOLO News reported.

This gender-based restriction, the statement emphasized, "reflects severe and pervasive discrimination against women and girls and interferes with their enjoyment of equal protection." The US special envoy for Afghan women and girls, Rina Amiri, posted on X that "the Taliban's discriminatory edicts targeting women and girls are some of the most heinous human rights abuses in the world."

Amiri stated further that those involved in repressing Afghan girls and women should be held accountable, TOLO News reported. "Today, the US has issued sanctions related to restricting access to secondary education for Khalid Hanafi and Fariduddin Mahmoud. We must continue to hold accountable those involved in repressing the women and girls of Afghanistan," she said.

Women's rights activist Suraya Paikan said the sanctions will not help with the situation of women and girls in Afghanistan. Sayed Mustafa Mortazavi, a university lecturer, suggested that the Taliban bring "immediate reforms in reopening girls' schools and universities." Meanwhile, another university lecturer, Sayed Jawad Sijadi, stated that the imposition of sanctions will further affect relations between the US and the Taliban, TOLO News reported.

"The condition will become difficult for the Taliban and the violation of human rights will not remain without response," he added.

Earlier, in July, the European Council imposed restrictive measures on 18 individuals and five entities under the EU Global Human Rights Sanctions Regime, holding them responsible for serious human rights violations and abuses in Afghanistan, South Sudan, the Central African Republic, Ukraine and Russia. "Six individuals were listed over various forms of sexual and gender-based violence," the EU Council said in a statement.