Rubio Urges Release of Americans as US Adds Afghanistan to Wrongful Detention List

US, Mar 10 : The United States Department of State on Monday designated Afghanistan as a “State Sponsor of Wrongful Detention,” accusing the ruling Taliban of arbitrarily detaining American citizens and foreign nationals.

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the Taliban continues to employ coercive tactics by detaining individuals to seek ransom or political concessions. He described the practice as unacceptable and warned that Afghanistan remains unsafe for American travellers due to the risk of unjust detention.

Rubio also called for the immediate release of two Americans believed to be held by the Taliban — Dennis Coyle, who has reportedly been detained since January 2025, and Mahmood Habibi, who disappeared in 2022 while working as a contractor in Kabul.

The decision comes a week after Iran was added to the same list created by Donald Trump in September to address what Washington describes as politically motivated detentions of US citizens abroad.

Meanwhile, the US ambassador to the United Nations, Mark Waltz, criticised the Taliban during a United Nations Security Council meeting, accusing the group of practising “hostage diplomacy.” He said the detention of Americans undermines confidence in the Taliban’s commitment to international obligations.

Waltz also expressed concerns over humanitarian assistance requests from Kabul, questioning whether the Taliban leadership is acting in good faith. He noted that such actions have deepened scepticism in Washington regarding the group’s willingness to honour commitments under the Doha Agreement, which paved the way for the withdrawal of US troops from Afghanistan.

US officials said the designation aims to increase diplomatic pressure on the Taliban and push for the release of detained Americans.