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.
This gender-based restriction, the statement emphasised, “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.
