US Places Afghanistan on List of Countries Supporting Illegal Detentions Due to Taliban Policy

Adam Boler, the US special representative for hostages, wrote on X on Wednesday that the US State Department has added Afghanistan to a list of countries supporting illegal detentions because of the Taliban's hostage-taking policy.

Boler emphasized that the Taliban has unjustly detained US citizens. While the Taliban has released some Americans, three others remain in custody. The Taliban has demanded a prisoner exchange and urged the US to resolve the issue through negotiations.

On Monday, the United States designated Afghanistan as a "country supporting illegal detention" due to the Taliban's actions, making it the second country on the list after Iran. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio stated that the Taliban is holding the citizens to gain political leverage and that such tactics will not work against the US.

The Taliban Foreign Ministry described the US action as regrettable in a statement, asserting that citizens of no country are detained as bargaining chips and that arrests are only for violations of applicable laws. The statement added that the Taliban government seeks to resolve the issue of detained US citizens through ongoing dialogues and constructive engagement.

Previously, in late 2025, Adam Boler and former US envoy Zalmay Khalilzad visited Kabul and discussed the releases with Taliban Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi.

The Taliban wants the release of Mohammad Rahim, an alleged Al-Qaeda operative held in Guantanamo since 2008 and accused of cooperating with Osama bin Laden, in exchange for the detained Americans.