KABUL, AFGHANISTAN – The Taliban have called for dialogue with the United States regarding American citizens detained in Afghanistan.
In a statement released on Tuesday, Taliban Foreign Ministry spokesperson Abdul Qahar Balkhi said the group regretted Afghanistan’s inclusion on a list of “state sponsors of wrongful detention.” He added that over the past year the Taliban had taken what he described as positive steps regarding the cases of some detained American citizens as a gesture of goodwill.
According to Balkhi, discussions between the two sides have also taken place at different levels with facilitation from Qatar. He said that during these talks both sides committed themselves to taking several positive steps.
The Taliban spokesperson said the group wants the issue of detained U.S. citizens to be resolved and finalized appropriately through dialogue and constructive engagement between the two sides.
Balkhi also rejected remarks made by U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, saying that no foreign citizen had been detained for the purpose of bargaining. He said some individuals had been arrested on charges of violating existing laws and, in many cases, were released normally after legal procedures were completed.
Earlier on Tuesday, the United States Department of State placed Taliban-controlled Afghanistan on its list of “state sponsors of wrongful detention.”
Rubio said the Taliban continue to use terrorist tactics and detain individuals in order to obtain ransom payments or political concessions.
The U.S. Secretary of State added that the Taliban must immediately release Dennis Kuil and Mahmood Habibi, two detained U.S. citizens, and commit to permanently ending what he described as hostage diplomacy.
It remains unclear how many US citizens are still held by the Taliban, a group known for detaining Western hostages to gain political leverage or secure prisoner exchanges. US officials believe Mahmood Shah Habibi, an Afghan-American who went missing in Kabul in 2022, may still be in Taliban custody, although Taliban leaders have consistently denied holding him. In June, Washington offered a reward of up to $5 million for information on his whereabouts.
The case of Mahmood Shah Habibi has been a source of tension between the United States and the Taliban since his disappearance in Kabul in 2022. Habibi, an Afghan-American telecommunications executive, went missing along with his driver, and U.S. officials later said they believed he had been detained by Taliban military or intelligence forces.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) issued a notice in 2024 stating it suspected Taliban involvement, while the United States Department of State accused the Taliban’s General Directorate of Intelligence of playing a role in the case and announced a reward of up to $5 million for information leading to Habibi’s safe return.
However, Taliban spokesperson Zabihullah Mujahid rejected the allegations, saying authorities had investigated the case following a petition from Habibi’s family but had found no evidence that he was being held by any Taliban-affiliated entity.
Rights groups and international observers continue to call for transparency about other detainees, argue that detainee rights must be protected under international law, and urge the Taliban to allow independent monitoring of prisoners.
