Taliban Justice Minister Reappears After 48 Days, Attends Conference In Saudi Arabia
After a 48-day absence, Abdul Hakim Sharei, the Taliban’s Minister of Justice, who is on the European Union’s sanctions list, has resurfaced in Mecca, Saudi Arabia.
After a 48-day absence, Abdul Hakim Sharei, the Taliban’s Minister of Justice, who is on the European Union’s sanctions list, has resurfaced in Mecca, Saudi Arabia.
Sharei is attending the Global Conference for Building Bridges Between Islamic Schools of Thought and Sects.
The two-day conference brings together scholars and religious figures from various Islamic nations. The Taliban’s Deputy Spokesperson, Hamdullah Fitrat, confirmed on Friday that Sharei participated in the event.
Recently, Afghanistan International reported that Sharei had travelled to Dubai and was allegedly considering resigning from his position as Justice Minister.
Afghanistan International obtained an audio recording in which Sharei expressed frustration over widespread corruption and ethnic nepotism within the Taliban leadership. In the recording, he claimed to have repeatedly attempted to resign in protest but stated that his resignation had been rejected.
In response to the Afghanistan International report, the Taliban’s Ministry of Justice denied that Sharei had resigned. The ministry confirmed that he had travelled to Dubai but insisted that his trip was for medical treatment under the directive of Taliban leader Hibatullah Akhundzada. Officials stated that Sharei would soon return and resume his duties.
The last official statement from the Taliban’s Ministry of Justice regarding Sharei was issued on 19 January, and no public updates had been provided about him until now.
The Taliban have not disclosed details about his illness, nor is it clear when he travelled to Saudi Arabia for the conference.
Abdul Hakim Sharei is on the global sanctions list, and in 2023, the European Union sanctioned him for systematically depriving Afghan women of work and education.
Alongside him, the Taliban’s Minister of Education and Chief Justice were also sanctioned for gender-based violence.
The EU’s sanctions report accused Sharei of restructuring Afghanistan’s judicial system to oppress women, stating that he revoked women’s law licenses, denied women access to legal representation, and blocked the enforcement of laws against gender-based violence
The report further noted that his policies had left Afghan women in a legal void, contributing to widespread human rights violations and obstructing justice and equality.
