Overview
Abdulhai Motmaen was a U.N.-sanctioned Taliban senior leader who was a close associate of and spokesperson for Taliban founder Mullah Mohammed Omar.“Security Council 1988 Committee Amends Six Entries on Its Sanctions List,” United Nations, May 16, 2014, https://www.un.org/press/en/2014/sc11400.doc.htm.
A member of the Kharoti tribe, Motmaen is a veteran of the Taliban movement. Motmaen served both as the spokesperson of the Taliban regime and as the director of the information and culture department in Kandahar during the Taliban’s first reign from the 1990s until 2001.“Security Council 1988 Committee Amends Six Entries on Its Sanctions List,” United Nations, May 16, 2014, https://www.un.org/press/en/2014/sc11400.doc.htm. As a senior spokesman for the Taliban, Motmaen delivered Taliban foreign policy statements.“COUNCIL IMPLEMENTING DECISION 2014/142/CFSP of 14 March 2014 implementing Decision 2011/486/CFSP concerning restrictive measures directed against certain individuals, groups, undertakings and entities in view of the situation in Afghanistan,” Official Journal of the European Union, March 14, 2014, https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/PDF/?uri=CELEX:32014D0142&from=PL.
Following the fall of the Taliban in 2001, Motmaen maintained his status as a member of the Taliban Supreme Council and from at least 2007, Motmaen served as the spokesperson for Omar.“Security Council 1988 Committee Amends Six Entries on Its Sanctions List,” United Nations, May 16, 2014, https://www.un.org/press/en/2014/sc11400.doc.htm. Given Motmaen’s role within the Taliban, the United Nations Security Council sanctioned Motmaen on February 23, 2001, and the U.K. Office of Financial Sanctions Implementation sanctioned Motmaen on April 2 of that year.“Security Council 1988 Committee Amends Six Entries on Its Sanctions List,” United Nations, May 16, 2014, https://www.un.org/press/en/2014/sc11400.doc.htm; “Consolidated List of Financial Sanctions Targets in the UK,” Office of Financial Sanctions Implementation HM Treasury, February 1, 2021, https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/957420/afghanistan.pdf.
On January 23, 2021, the Taliban announced the death of Motmaen who had succumbed to a prolonged illness.“Security Council 1988 Committee Amends Six Entries on Its Sanctions List,” United Nations, May 16, 2014, https://www.un.org/press/en/2014/sc11400.doc.htm.
Associated Groups
- Extremist entity
- Taliban
- Read Threat Report
- Type(s) of Organization:
- Insurgent, regional, terrorist, transnational, violent
- Ideologies and Affiliations:
- Deobandi, Islamist, jihadist, Pashtun, Salafi, Sunni, Wahhabi
- Position(s):
- Spokesperson of the first Taliban regime
The Taliban seized power in Afghanistan in August 2021 after previously leading a violent insurgency in Afghanistan and Pakistan. The group is closely affiliated with al-Qaeda.
History
United Nations
The United Nations sanctioned Abdulhai Motmaen as an individual associated with the Taliban on February 23, 2001.“ABDULHAI MOTMAEN,” United Nations, February 23, 2001, https://www.un.org/securitycouncil/sanctions/1988/materials/summaries/individual/abdulhai-motmaen.
United Kingdom
The U.K. Office of Financial Sanctions Implementation sanctioned Abdulhai Motmaen on April 2, 2001.“Consolidated List of Financial Sanctions Targets in the UK,” Office of Financial Sanctions Implementation HM Treasury, February 1, 2021, https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/957420/afghanistan.pdf.
Daily Dose
Extremists: Their Words. Their Actions.
In Their Own Words:
We reiterate once again that the brigades will directly target US bases across the region in case the US enemy commits a folly and decides to strike our resistance fighters and their camps [in Iraq].
Mar. 2023