WASHINGTON: The United States has said that the Taliban continues a policy of “hostage-taking” by detaining American citizens in Afghanistan, renewing calls for the immediate release of all US nationals whom Washington says are being wrongfully detained.
Speaking in an interview with Afghanistan International, US State Department spokesperson Elizabeth Stickney said the detention of Americans remained a serious concern for the Trump administration, stressing that protecting US citizens and safeguarding national interests continued to be at the heart of Washington’s approach towards Afghanistan.
“The Taliban continues its hostage-taking policy,” Stickney said, urging the group’s authorities to release all Americans whom the United States considers to have been unlawfully detained.
She said ensuring the safety of American citizens abroad remained a top priority for the US government, while counterterrorism continued to rank among Washington’s foremost national security objectives in Afghanistan.
Stickney also voiced deep concern over the condition of women and girls under Taliban rule, describing the human rights situation as “horrific”. She called on the Taliban to end policies and practices that, according to Washington, deny Afghan women and girls their fundamental rights and freedoms.
Asked whether the United States had developed a new strategy to address the evolving situation in Afghanistan, the State Department spokesperson said Washington remained actively engaged on the issue but declined to disclose further details regarding ongoing diplomatic or policy efforts.
Relations between the United States and the Taliban have remained strained since the group regained control of Afghanistan in August 2021 following the withdrawal of US-led international forces.
Washington has not recognised the Taliban administration and has consistently criticised its human rights record, particularly restrictions imposed on women, girls, journalists and civil society.
The detention of foreign nationals, including several American citizens, has emerged as one of the principal points of contention between the two sides. US officials have repeatedly described the arrests of Americans as arbitrary and unlawful, while pressing for their immediate release through diplomatic channels.
Although the exact number of US citizens currently held by the Taliban has not been publicly confirmed, successive US administrations have maintained that securing their freedom remains a diplomatic priority.
The United States has also repeatedly emphasised that preventing Afghanistan from becoming a sanctuary for international terrorist organisations remains a key element of its regional security policy.
The Taliban, for its part, has consistently rejected allegations of arbitrary detention and human rights abuses. It maintains that its judicial and security measures are implemented in accordance with Afghanistan’s domestic laws and its interpretation of Islamic principles.
Stickney’s remarks come amid continuing international criticism of the Taliban’s governance, particularly over restrictions on women’s education, employment and public participation, issues that have kept Afghanistan under sustained diplomatic and human rights scrutiny since the group’s return to power.
