US Labels Afghanistan ‘State Sponsor of Wrongful Detention’

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio designated Taliban-led Afghanistan a “state sponsor of wrongful detention,” demanding the immediate release of detained American citizens.

Marco Rubio, the United States Department of State secretary, announced on Tuesday, March 10 that the Taliban government in Afghanistan has been designated a “state sponsor of wrongful detention,” citing the continued detention of American citizens and warning that Washington may take further measures.

Rubio said in a statement shared on social media platform x that the Taliban must immediately release all detained US citizens, specifically naming Mahmood Habibi and Dennis Coyle, and stressing that the United States will not tolerate the detention of its nationals for political leverage.

In a post on X (Twitter), Rubio said the Taliban’s actions resemble “terrorist tactics,” accusing the group of kidnapping individuals for ransom or policy concessions and warning that such practices make travel to Afghanistan unsafe for Americans.

US officials also said Washington is seeking the return of the remains of Paul Overby, an American author who disappeared near the Afghanistan–Pakistan border in 2014. Two sources familiar with the matter said the issue remains part of ongoing US demands to the Taliban.

The designation could lead to restrictions on the use of United States passports for travel to Afghanistan if Kabul does not meet Washington’s demands. Currently, such restrictions apply only to North Korea, making the move a potentially significant escalation.

The Taliban returned to power in Afghanistan in 2021 after the withdrawal of US and NATO forces, but their government has not been formally recognized by most Western countries, including the United States.

Washington has repeatedly raised concerns about the detention of foreign nationals in Afghanistan, arguing that such cases complicate already strained relations between the United States and the Taliban-led authorities in Kabul.

The Taliban government has previously denied detaining Mahmood Habibi, a former head of Afghanistan’s civil aviation authority.

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