Overview
- The measures cover three Taliban ministers and Chief Justice Abdul Hakim Haqqani, identifying Muhammad Khalid Hanafi, Neda Mohammad Nadeem and Abdul-Hakim Sharei.
- Sanctions include travel bans, an arms embargo, and prohibitions on Australians dealing with the officials’ assets or providing related services.
- These are the first listings under Australia’s new Afghanistan-specific sanctions framework, which operates alongside existing UN Taliban measures.
- Foreign Minister Penny Wong said the targeted officials restrict women’s and girls’ access to education, work, movement and public life, undermining governance and the rule of law.
- The action aligns with an ICC arrest warrant for Haqqani over alleged crimes against humanity, while Australia says humanitarian aid will continue under a dedicated permit.