US designates Afghanistan as 'State Sponsor of Wrongful Detention'

Washington (Web Desk/Agencies): US Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Monday strongly rebuked authorities in Afghanistan over the detention of American nationals, warning that the issue could prompt Washington to bar US passport holders from travelling to the country.

In an official statement, Rubio said the Taliban-led administration in Kabul was being formally classified as a “State sponsor of Wrongful Detention.” He called on Afghan authorities to immediately release all Americans held in the country, including Mahmood Habibi and Dennis Coyle.

Rubio accused the Taliban of resorting to coercive practices, saying the group was detaining people in order to demand ransom or push for political concessions. He described the practice as reprehensible and stressed that such risks made it unsafe for US citizens to travel to Afghanistan due to the possibility of arbitrary arrest.

Today, I am designating Afghanistan as a State Sponsor of Wrongful Detention. The Taliban continue to use terrorist tactics to seek policy concessions, but it won’t work under this administration. The Taliban must release Dennis Coyle, Mahmood Habibi, and all Americans unjustly…

— Secretary Marco Rubio (@SecRubio) March 9, 2026

The United States is also seeking the recovery of the remains of writer Paul Overby, who went missing in 2014 near the Afghanistan–Pakistan border, according to two individuals familiar with the matter.
The sources said Washington could move to restrict the use of US passports for travel to Afghanistan if the country fails to meet American demands. Currently, similar passport limitations apply only to travel to North Korea.

Earlier, on February 27, Rubio issued the same designation against Iran, making it the first country to receive the label under an executive order signed in September by US President Donald Trump. At the time, Rubio also warned that travel to Iran could face restrictions because of the detention of American citizens, though no such measures have been implemented.

The day after the designation was announced, the United States and Israel launched a military campaign against Iran.

According to international media outlet Reuters, attempts to obtain comment from Afghanistan’s Taliban authorities were unsuccessful. The Taliban government has previously denied holding Habibi, who once served as the head of Afghanistan’s civil aviation authority.