WASHINGTON: United States Secretary of State Marco Rubio introduced on Monday (Mar 10) he has designated Afghanistan as a “state sponsor of wrongful detention”, demanding Taliban authorities launch two Individuals and decide to ending its “hostage diplomacy”.
The transfer comes simply over per week after Iran grew to become the primary nation added to Washington’s new “wrongful detention” blacklist.
President Donald Trump in September signed an govt order that created the blacklist, just like designations by the US on terrorism.
“The Taliban continues to make use of terrorist ways, kidnapping people for ransom or to hunt coverage concessions,” Rubio mentioned in an announcement.
He mentioned it was “not secure for Individuals to journey to Afghanistan as a result of the Taliban continues to unjustly detain our fellow Individuals and different international nationals”.
“The Taliban must launch Dennis Coyle, Mahmoud Habibi, and all Individuals unjustly detained in Afghanistan now and decide to stop the observe of hostage diplomacy perpetually,” he added.
Habibi, an Afghan-American businessman, beforehand served as Afghanistan’s director of civil aviation.
He was arrested in August 2022 in Kabul together with dozens of different staff of his telecommunications firm, based on US authorities.
The State Division has issued a reward of US$5 million for info resulting in Habibi’s return.
Coyle is an instructional from Colorado who labored for 20 years in Afghanistan earlier than being detained in January 2025, based on the James Foley Basis.
