KABUL: The Islamic Emirate condemned the recent sanctions imposed by the US Department of the Treasury on two of its officials and said that imposing sanctions is not the solution.
Zabiullah Mujahid, the spokesman of the Islamic Emirate, wrote on X that “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.”
“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,” he said.
The US Department of Treasury said in a statement on December 8 that the Office of Foreign Assets Control designated “Fariduddin Mahmood (Mahmood) and Khalid
Hanafi (Hanafi) for serious human rights abuse related to the repression of women and girls, including through the restriction of access to secondary education for women and girls in Afghanistan solely on the basis of gender.”
This gender-based restriction, the statement said, “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, also said on X that “the Taliban’s discriminatory edicts targeting women and girls are some of the most heinous human rights abuses in the world.”
“Today, the US has issued sanctions related to restricting access to secondary education on Khalid Hanafi and Fariduddin Mahmoud. We must continue to hold accountable those involved in repressing the women and girls of Afghanistan.”
Suraya Paikan, women’s rights activist, said that the sanctions will cause a global reflection but will not help with the situation of women and girls in Afghanistan.
Sayed Mustafa Mortazavi, university lecturer, suggested that the Islamic Emirate should bring “immediate reforms in reopening girls schools and university.”
Sayed Jawad Sijadi, university lecturer, said that the imposition of sanctions will affect the relations between the US and Taliban.
“The condition will become difficult for the Taliban and the violation of human rights will not remain without response,” he said.
In July this year, The European Council said that it imposed restrictive measures against 18 individuals and 5 entities under the EU Global Human Rights Sanctions Regime, because of their responsibility 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,” said the Council of the EU in a statement.
