Secretary of State Marco Rubio designated Afghanistan as a “State Sponsor of Wrongful Detention.” He said in a statement that the Taliban “continues to use terrorist tactics, kidnapping individuals for ransom or to seek policy concessions. These despicable tactics need to end.”
“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 stressed. “The Taliban needs to release Dennis Coyle, Mahmoud Habibi, and all Americans unjustly detained in Afghanistan now and commit to cease the practice of hostage diplomacy forever.”
Coyle has been wrongfully detained since January 2025, and Habibi since August 2022.
In September, U.S. citizen Amir Amiry was released from his detainment in Afghanistan “thanks to President Trump’s leadership and commitment to the American people,” Rubio said at the time.
“We express our sincere gratitude to Qatar, whose strong partnership and tireless diplomatic efforts were vital to securing his release,” Rubio said on September 28. “This homecoming reflects this Administration’s determination, reinforced by the President’s recent Executive Order, to protect U.S. nationals from wrongful detention abroad. While this marks an important step forward, additional Americans remain unjustly detained in Afghanistan. President Trump will not rest until all our captive citizens are back home.”
President Trump signed an executive order in September aimed at strengthening efforts to protect U.S. citizens from wrongful detentions overseas. “No American should fear being taken as a political pawn by rogue states. Wrongful detentions are an affront to the rule of law and aim to undermine our leadership on the world stage,” the order read. “The United States will not tolerate these attacks on our sovereignty and U.S. nationals.”
