Rubio designates Afghanistan as 'state sponsor of wrongful detention': 'Despicable tactics'

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

In his announcement connected Monday, Rubio said the Taliban continues to usage "terrorist tactics" that helium insisted "need to end."

"I americium designating Afghanistan arsenic a State Sponsor of Wrongful Detention," Rubio said successful a statement. "The Taliban continues to usage violent tactics, kidnapping individuals for ransom oregon to question argumentation concessions. These despicable tactics request to end."

The caput besides called connected the panic radical to escaped a brace of Americans who are "unjustly detained" successful Afghanistan.

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

"It is not harmless for Americans to question to Afghanistan due to the fact that the Taliban continues to unjustly detain our chap Americans and different overseas nationals," helium said. "The Taliban needs to merchandise Dennis Coyle, Mahmoud Habibi, and each Americans unjustly detained successful Afghanistan present and perpetrate to cease the signifier of hostage diplomacy forever."

Coyle, 64, was detained much than a twelvemonth agone without charges by the Taliban General Directorate of Intelligence, according to his family, noting that helium inactive has not been charged. His household said helium was legally moving to enactment Afghan connection communities arsenic an world researcher.

Habibi, a 38-year-old American national who was calved successful Afghanistan, was taken on with his operator from their conveyance successful the superior of Kabul successful August 2022 by the Taliban General Directorate of Intelligence, according to the State Department.

The FBI said Habibi was antecedently Afghanistan’s manager of civilian aviation and worked for the Kabul-based telecommunications institution Asia Consultancy Group. The FBI said the Taliban detained 29 different employees of the institution but has released astir of them.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the Taliban continues to usage "terrorist tactics" that helium insisted "need to end." (J. Scott Applewhite/AP Photo)

Habibi has not been heard from since his arrest, and the Taliban has not disclosed his whereabouts oregon condition, according to the State Department and FBI. The Taliban has antecedently denied it detained Habibi.

The U.S. is besides calling for the instrumentality of the remains of Paul Overby, an writer who was past seen adjacent to Afghanistan's borderline with Pakistan successful 2014, according to Reuters, citing 2 sources acquainted with the situation.

The State Department could restrict the usage of U.S. passports for question to Afghanistan if the Taliban does not conscionable the U.S. government's demands, the sources told the outlet.

A passport regularisation of this benignant is presently lone successful spot for North Korea.

The Taliban called the determination by Rubio to designate Afghanistan a "state sponsor of wrongful detention" regrettable, adding that it wanted to resoluteness the substance done dialogue.

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

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The Taliban took power of Afghanistan successful 2021 during the U.S. military’s chaotic withdrawal from the state that ended the 20-year warfare successful the region.

Rubio gave the "state sponsor of wrongful detention" designation to Iran precocious past month, conscionable 1 time earlier the U.S.-Israeli strikes connected the country. He warned that the U.S. could restrict question to Iran implicit its detention of U.S. citizens, but determination person not been immoderate restrictions yet.

"The Iranian authorities indispensable halt taking hostages and merchandise each Americans unjustly detained successful Iran, steps that could extremity this designation and associated actions," Rubio said astatine the time.

Reuters contributed to this report.