US Secretary of State Marco Rubio labeled Afghanistan a “state sponsor of unlawful detention” and accused the Taliban of “wrongfully” detaining Americans and other foreign nationals.
In his announcement Monday, Rubio said the Taliban continues to use “terrorist tactics” that he stressed “must end.”
“I designate Afghanistan as a state sponsor of unlawful detention,” Rubio said in a statement. “The Taliban continue to use terrorist tactics, kidnapping individuals for ransom or to obtain policy concessions. These despicable tactics must end.”
The secretary also called on the terrorist group to release some Americans “wrongfully detained” in Afghanistan.
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US Secretary of State Marco Rubio has labeled Afghanistan a ‘state sponsor of unlawful detention’. (Alex Wong/Getty Images)
“It is not safe for Americans to travel to Afghanistan as the Taliban continues to unlawfully detain our fellow Americans and other foreign nationals,” he said. “The Taliban must now release Dennis Coyle, Mahmoud Habibi and all Americans wrongfully detained in Afghanistan and commit to ending the practice of hostage diplomacy forever.”
Coyle, 64, was detained without charge by the Taliban’s Directorate General of Intelligence more than a year ago, according to his family, noting that he has still not been charged. His family said he worked legally as an academic researcher to support Afghanistan’s language communities.
Habibi, a 38-year-old U.S. citizen born in Afghanistan, was taken from their vehicle in the capital Kabul by the Taliban’s Directorate General of Intelligence in August 2022, according to the State Department.
According to the FBI, Habibi previously served as director of civil aviation in Afghanistan and worked for the Kabul-based telecommunications company Asia Consultancy Group. The FBI said the Taliban detained 29 other company employees but released most of them.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the Taliban continued to use “terrorist tactics” that he stressed “must end.” (J. Scott Applewhite/AP Photo)
Habibi has not been heard from since his arrest, and the Taliban have not released his whereabouts or condition, the State Department and FBI said. The Taliban have previously denied holding Habibi.
The US is also calling for the return of the remains of Paul Overby, an author who was last seen near Afghanistan’s border with Pakistan in 2014, according to Reuters, citing two sources familiar with the situation.
The State Department could restrict the use of U.S. passports for travel to Afghanistan if the Taliban does not meet U.S. government demands, the sources told the newspaper.
Such a passport restriction currently only applies to North Korea.
The Taliban called Rubio’s decision to designate Afghanistan a “state sponsor of unlawful detention” regrettable, adding that they wanted to resolve the matter through dialogue.
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The Taliban called the decision to designate Afghanistan a “state sponsor of unlawful detention” regrettable. (Reuters/Ali Khara)
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The Taliban took control of Afghanistan in 2021, amid the chaotic withdrawal of the US military from the country, ending the region’s 20-year war.
Rubio labeled Iran a “state sponsor of unlawful detention” late last month, just one day before the US-Israeli attacks on the country. He warned that the US could restrict travel to Iran due to the detention of US citizens, but there are no restrictions yet.
“The Iranian regime must stop taking hostages and release all Americans wrongfully detained in Iran, steps that could put an end to this designation and related actions,” Rubio said at the time.
Reuters contributed to this report.
