Human Rights Watch (HRW) said Australia’s proposed amendments to its Autonomous Sanctions regulations could enable the government to impose targeted sanctions and travel bans on senior Taliban figures.
HRW added that the sanctions could be imposed others involved in serious human rights abuses in Afghanistan.
In a statement, the organisation described the reforms as an important step toward ensuring accountability for Taliban officials and other individuals implicated in rights violations.
The Australian government announced on 30 October that it had completed consultations on the proposed changes, which are intended to introduce new criteria for creating an Afghanistan-specific sanctions list. The amendments also outline an arms embargo on Afghanistan and a ban on providing weapons-related services to the country.
HRW said the proposed changes would allow Australia to sanction individuals and entities responsible for, complicit in, or involved in the repression of women, girls and minorities, as well as broader forms of political and social repression. The amendments would also permit sanctions against anyone deemed to be undermining governance and the rule of law in Afghanistan.
Daniela Gavshon, HRW’s Australia director, said it was important for the Australian government to act against Taliban leaders believed to be responsible for severe restrictions on women and girls and other grave abuses. She said the revised sanctions framework would allow Australia to align with countries that have already taken steps to confront what HRW described as the Taliban’s widespread and systematic repression.
HRW reiterated that the Taliban intensified their restrictions on women and girls after returning to power in August 2021. UN experts have assessed that these actions amount to crimes against humanity in the form of gender persecution.
The organisation also cited the shrinking civic space under Taliban rule, including extensive censorship and the arrest and torture of activists and journalists.
HRW added that LGBTQ+ people and other minorities in Afghanistan face dire conditions and serious threats under Taliban rule. It said hundreds of Shia Hazara civilians and other Afghans have been killed or wounded in attacks carried out by Islamic State–affiliated groups.
