The US has designated Afghanistan a “State Sponsor of Wrongful Detention,” accusing the Taliban of hostage diplomacy and demanding the release of American detainees.
The United States has officially designated Afghanistan as a “State Sponsor of Wrongful Detention,” accusing the Taliban of using foreign detainees as leverage in diplomatic negotiations.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced the decision on Monday, saying the Taliban continues to detain American citizens and other foreign nationals unjustly.
The move places Afghanistan on a newly created US blacklist targeting governments accused of detaining foreign nationals for political or diplomatic leverage.
Washington Accuses Taliban of Hostage Diplomacy
According to Rubio, the Taliban is using detention as a political tool to extract concessions from the United States.
“The Taliban continues to use terrorist tactics, kidnapping individuals for ransom or to seek policy concessions,” Rubio said in a statement.
He warned that Afghanistan is unsafe for American travelers due to the risk of arbitrary detention by Taliban authorities.
“It is not safe for Americans to travel to Afghanistan because the Taliban continues to unjustly detain our fellow Americans and other foreign nationals,” he added.
US Demands Immediate Release of American Citizens
The US government has demanded the immediate release of detained Americans, including Dennis Coyle and Mahmoud Habibi.
Habibi, an Afghan-American businessman, previously served as Afghanistan’s director of civil aviation. He was arrested in Kabul in August 2022 along with dozens of employees from his telecommunications company.
The US State Department has offered a $5 million reward for information leading to Habibi’s release or return.
Coyle, an academic from Colorado who worked in Afghanistan for nearly two decades, was detained in January 2025, according to the James Foley Foundation.
US Raises Taliban Policies at the UN Security Council
The announcement came as Washington intensified criticism of Taliban policies at the United Nations Security Council.
US Ambassador Mike Waltz questioned whether the international community should continue providing financial support and engagement with Afghanistan.
Waltz said the global community must reassess its assistance given the Taliban’s refusal to change policies, particularly those restricting women’s rights.
Concerns Over International Funding to Afghanistan
Waltz highlighted that the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) remains the largest special political mission run by the United Nations, even after a 15 percent budget reduction in 2026.
He criticized the Taliban’s restrictions on women working, noting that female Afghan staff members of UNAMA are still unable to report to offices.
According to Waltz, the Taliban’s policies may also affect humanitarian funding.
“There is a $1 billion humanitarian funding shortfall, and the international community may be more willing to fill that gap if the Taliban were not excluding half of its population from basic rights and responsibilities,” he said.
Background: New US Policy on Wrongful Detentions
The designation follows an executive order signed by Donald Trump in September that created a “wrongful detention” blacklist, similar to US designations related to terrorism.
Iran was the first country placed on the list earlier this month, making Afghanistan the second state to receive the designation.
The US government says the policy aims to pressure governments that use foreign detainees as bargaining chips in diplomatic disputes.
