US Designates Taliban-Controlled Afghanistan 'State Sponsor of Wrongful Detention'

The United States has designated Afghanistan under Taliban control as a "state sponsor of wrongful detention," according to US Secretary of State Marco Rubio.

Rubio announced the decision on social media platform X, demanding the immediate release of detained American citizens, including Dennis Coyle and Mahmood Habibi. He described the Taliban's actions as "terrorist tactics" involving kidnapping for ransom or political leverage, and warned that travel to Afghanistan is unsafe for Americans. US officials stated that at least three US citizens are currently held in Taliban prisons.

Jim Risch, chairman of the US Senate Foreign Relations Committee, welcomed the designation in a post on X, stating it is time for the Taliban to "pay the price for their crimes." Risch accused the Taliban of misusing US taxpayer funds to finance terrorist campaigns, imposing "cruel Sharia," and detaining Americans including Coyle, who is reportedly held in solitary confinement by Taliban intelligence without formal charges, and Habibi, former head of Afghanistan's civil aviation authority. The US has offered up to $5 million for information leading to Habibi's location or return.

Washington is also seeking the return of Paul Overby's remains; Overby, an American author, was last seen near the Afghanistan-Pakistan border in 2014. The Taliban has previously denied detaining Habibi.

The designation could lead to US passport restrictions for travel to Afghanistan, currently applied only to North Korea. It underscores ongoing US concerns over the detention of foreign nationals amid strained relations with the Taliban, who returned to power in 2021 after the US and NATO withdrawal but lack formal recognition from most Western countries including the United States.