U.S. Secretary of State Labels Afghanistan as a “State Sponsor of Wrongful Detention”
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced on Monday that Afghanistan is now officially labeled a “state sponsor of wrongful detention.” He accused the Taliban of unjustly holding Americans and other foreign nationals captive.
Rubio emphasized that the Taliban uses tactics akin to terrorism and called for an end to these actions. “The Taliban continues to use terrorist tactics, kidnapping individuals for ransom or political gain. These unacceptable methods must cease,” he stated.
He urged the Taliban to release two American citizens who he described as “unjustly detained” in Afghanistan.
“It is unsafe for Americans to travel to Afghanistan,” Rubio added. He demanded the release of Dennis Coyle and Mahmoud Habibi, stressing that the Taliban should commit to ending hostage diplomacy once and for all.
Coyle, 64, was taken by the Taliban’s General Directorate of Intelligence over a year ago without any charges. His family reported that he was working legally in Afghanistan as an academic researcher supporting local language communities.
Habibi, 38, was apprehended in Kabul in August 2022, along with his driver. He had previously served as Afghanistan’s director of civil aviation and worked with a telecommunications firm. The Taliban has detained several employees from his company, though many have since been released.
According to reports, Habibi’s current status remains unknown, as the Taliban has not shared any updates on him.
The U.S. has also asked for the return of Paul Overby, an author last seen near the Afghan-Pakistan border in 2014.
If the Taliban does not respond to U.S. demands, there could be restrictions placed on American passports for travel to Afghanistan, a measure currently only applied to North Korea.
In response, the Taliban expressed regret over Rubio’s designation and said they prefer to settle the matter through dialogue.
Rubio had made a similar designation against Iran last month, warning that the U.S. might restrict travel to Iran due to the detention of American citizens. He reiterated that the Iranian regime needs to release all unjustly held Americans to potentially end such designations.
The Taliban seized control of Afghanistan in 2021 during the chaotic withdrawal of U.S. military forces, marking the end of a 20-year conflict.
