U.S. Designates Afghanistan as State Sponsor of Wrongful Detention

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced that the United States has designated Afghanistan as a State Sponsor of Wrongful Detention. The announcement was made in a social media post on March 10, 2026.

Rubio accused the Taliban government of using wrongful detention and terrorist tactics to pressure the United States for political concessions. He said such actions would not succeed under the current U.S. administration.

The U.S. government has demanded the immediate release of several American citizens who are currently detained in Afghanistan. Among them are Dennis Coyle and Mahmood Habibi, whom the United States says are being held unjustly.

Rubio stressed that all Americans who are wrongfully detained in Afghanistan must be released immediately. The designation of Afghanistan as a State Sponsor of Wrongful Detention is intended to increase diplomatic pressure on the Taliban government.

The move could further strain relations between the United States and the Taliban-led administration, which took control of Afghanistan in 2021.

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