U.S. imposes visa restrictions on Taliban members over repression of women, girls

The United States has imposed visa restrictions on members of the Taliban and other individuals responsible for the repression of women and girls in Afghanistan through policies and violence, Secretary of State Antony Blinken said.
Blinken in a statement on Tuesday said that the visa restriction policy restricts “the issuance of visas for current or former Taliban members, members of non-state security groups, and other individuals believed to be responsible for, or complicit in, repressing women and girls in Afghanistan through restrictive policies and violence.” Immediate family members of such persons may also be subject to these restrictions, it added.
These repressive policies include discontinuing and restricting access to secondary or higher education for girls and women, preventing women’s full participation in the workforce and their ability to choose their careers, restricting women’s movement, expression, or privacy as well as engaging in violence and harassment. As per the statement, unjust arrest and detention of women, girls, or family for noncompliance with discriminatory policies will also invite sanctions.