Taliban authorities have for the first time publicly confirmed that two American citizens are being held in Afghanistan, according to an Afghan media outlet. Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid stated that the detainees were arrested for allegedly violating Afghan law and that their cases are under legal processing. U.S. officials have identified the detainees as Dennis Coyle, an American researcher, and Mahmood Shah Habibi, an Afghan-American businessman who has been missing in Kabul since 2022. The disclosure comes as the U.S. State Department recently designated Afghanistan as a country that supports illegal detentions, underscoring rising tensions over the treatment of foreign nationals and the broader dynamics between Washington and Kabul. The situation raises questions about consular access and diplomatic avenues amid ongoing tensions.
