Marco Rubio designates Afghanistan as state sponsor of wrongful detention

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U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio designated Afghanistan as a "state sponsor of wrongful detention," accusing the Taliban of "unjustly" detaining Individuals and different international nationals.

In his announcement on Monday, Rubio stated the Taliban continues to make use of "terrorist ways" that he insisted "want to finish."

"I'm designating Afghanistan as a State Sponsor of Wrongful Detention," Rubio stated in an announcement. "The Taliban continues to make use of terrorist ways, kidnapping people for ransom or to hunt coverage concessions. These despicable ways want to finish."

The secretary additionally known as on the phobia group to free a pair of Individuals who're "unjustly detained" in Afghanistan.

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U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio designated Afghanistan as a "state sponsor of wrongful detention." (Alex Wong/Getty Photos)

"It's 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," he stated. "The Taliban must launch Dennis Coyle, Mahmoud Habibi, and all Individuals unjustly detained in Afghanistan now and decide to stop the apply of hostage diplomacy eternally."

Coyle, 64, was detained greater than a yr in the past with out costs by the Taliban Common Directorate of Intelligence, in response to his household, noting that he nonetheless has not been charged. His household stated he was legally working to help Afghan language communities as a tutorial researcher.

Habibi, a 38-year-old American citizen who was born in Afghanistan, was taken alongside along with his driver from their car within the capital of Kabul in August 2022 by the Taliban Common Directorate of Intelligence, in response to the State Division.

The FBI stated Habibi was beforehand Afghanistan’s director of civil aviation and labored for the Kabul-based telecommunications firm Asia Consultancy Group. The FBI stated the Taliban detained 29 different staff of the corporate however has launched most of them.

<source media="(min-width: 768px) and (max-width: 1023px)" srcset="https://a57.foxnews.com/static.foxnews.com/foxnews.com/content/uploads/2026/01/672/378/secretary-of-state-marco-rubio-foreign-relations-venezuela.jpg?ve=1&tl=1, https://a57.foxnews.com/static.foxnews.com/foxnews.com/content/uploads/2026/01/1344/756/secretary-of-state-marco-rubio-foreign-relations-venezuela.jpg?ve=1&tl=1 2x" height="378" width="672"><source media="(min-width: 1024px) and (max-width: 1279px)" srcset="https://a57.foxnews.com/static.foxnews.com/foxnews.com/content/uploads/2026/01/931/523/secretary-of-state-marco-rubio-foreign-relations-venezuela.jpg?ve=1&tl=1, https://a57.foxnews.com/static.foxnews.com/foxnews.com/content/uploads/2026/01/1862/1046/secretary-of-state-marco-rubio-foreign-relations-venezuela.jpg?ve=1&tl=1 2x" height="523" width="931"> Secretary of State Marco Rubio stated the Taliban continues to make use of "terrorist ways" that he insisted "want to finish." (J. Scott Applewhite/AP Photograph)

Habibi has not been heard from since his arrest, and the Taliban has not disclosed his whereabouts or situation, in response to the State Division and FBI. The Taliban has beforehand denied it detained Habibi.

The U.S. can be calling for the return of the stays of Paul Overby, an writer who was final seen near Afghanistan's border with Pakistan in 2014, in response to Reuters, citing two sources accustomed to the state of affairs.

The State Division might prohibit using U.S. passports for journey to Afghanistan if the Taliban doesn't meet the U.S. authorities's calls for, the sources advised the outlet.

A passport restriction of this type is at the moment solely in place for North Korea.

The Taliban known as the choice by Rubio to designate Afghanistan a "state sponsor of wrongful detention" regrettable, including that it needed to resolve the matter by way of dialogue.

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The Taliban known as the choice to designate Afghanistan a "state sponsor of wrongful detention" regrettable. (Reuters/Ali Khara)

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The Taliban took management of Afghanistan in 2021 throughout the U.S. navy’s chaotic withdrawal from the nation that ended the 20-year warfare within the area.

Rubio gave the "state sponsor of wrongful detention" designation to Iran late final month, simply at some point earlier than the U.S.-Israeli strikes on the nation. He warned that the U.S. might prohibit journey to Iran over its detention of U.S. residents, however there haven't been any restrictions but.

"The Iranian regime should cease taking hostages and launch all Individuals unjustly detained in Iran, steps that would finish this designation and related actions," Rubio stated on the time.