WASHINGTON: The United States has formally designated Afghanistan as a “Wrongful Detention Supporting State,” US Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced.
The designation demands the immediate release of two American citizens and the permanent end of “hostage diplomacy” by Taliban authorities.
The decision follows the inclusion of Iran on Washington’s new wrongful detention blacklist last week.
The blacklist was created under an executive order signed by Donald Trump in September. It is similar to the U.S. terrorism designation framework.
On social media platform X, Rubio said the Taliban continue to use terrorist tactics to achieve political goals.
“Taliban are still attempting to extract political concessions through terrorist measures, but this strategy will not succeed under the current administration,” he said.
Rubio warned that travel to Afghanistan is unsafe for U.S. citizens because Taliban continue to detain Americans and other foreign nationals unfairly.
The Secretary of State specifically demanded the immediate release of Denis Coyl, Mahmood Habibi, and all other Americans unjustly held in Afghanistan. He also called for the permanent end of abduction-based diplomacy.
Habibi, an Afghan-American businessman and former director of Afghanistan’s Civil Aviation Authority, was arrested in August 2022 in Kabul with multiple employees of his telecom company.
The U.S. State Department has offered a $5 million reward for information leading to Habibi’s return.
Coyl, an academic from Colorado who worked in Afghanistan for two decades, was detained in January 2025, according to the James Foley Foundation.
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Rubio described the designation as a key step for U.S. citizen protection and global human rights. He said a firm stance will be taken against illegal detention by the Taliban.
