Former Taliban Commander Sentenced to 42 Years in Prison for Hostage Taking and Providing Material Support for Acts of Terrorism Resulting in Death “Those who harm Americans and engage in acts of terrorism will be hunted down and brought to justice, no matter how long it takes,” said Acting Attorney General @DAGToddBlanche. “As a Taliban commander, Najibullah supported brutal terrorist attacks that killed American servicemembers and orchestrated the savage hostage-taking of an American journalist and Afghan civilians. Today’s sentence delivers justice for the victims and their families.” Read more: justice.gov/opa/pr/former-ta…

Hostage taking is not a negotiating tactic—it is a crime. The prison sentence for Haji Najibullah sends a clear message: those who kidnap Americans, support terrorism, and inflict suffering on families will face the consequences of their actions, no matter how long it takes.

The U.S. priority in Afghanistan is protecting our citizens and homeland.  There can be no diplomatic progress while the Taliban detain innocent Americans, ignore the Afghan people’s needs, deny Afghan women their basic rights, and fail to meet their counterterrorism commitments. - Ambassador Jeff Bartos speaking in the UN Security Council

The ordeal of unjust detention does not end when a returnee comes home. SPEHA’s Dr. Young Hoang spoke at the @OsloFF Conference about the importance of post-return support for those unjustly detained and how the U.S. helps returnees rebuild their lives after detention. Governments, NGOs, advocates, and communities can work together to better support returnee’s journey toward recovery.

For 12 years, the family of Paul Overby has lived with unanswered questions following his disappearance in Khost Province, Afghanistan. We continue to support efforts to recover Americans abroad and ensure no American is forgotten. If you have information that could help bring Paul home, the U.S. is offering a reward of up to $1 million.

REMINDER: Your rights do not travel with you. The Travel Advisories for the following countries are Level 4, DO NOT TRAVEL and include the Risk Indicator for the WRONGFUL DETENTION OF U.S. CITIZENS: 🚫Afghanistan 🚫Iran 🚫North Korea 🚫Russia Always review the Travel Advisory for your destination before booking travel: travel.state.gov/destination

Congratulations to Deputy SPEHA Dustin Stewart, on receiving the Robert A. Levinson Excellence in Government Service Award! We thank the @JamesFoleyFund for this recognition, which reflects a whole-of-government effort and the President’s commitment to bringing Americans home.

We are grateful to the returnees and families who shared their experiences with us during our roundtable, helping us to shape more effective policies to better protect Americans abroad.

It’s Hostage Week—a time to come together with former hostages, their families, and support those still waiting. The Trump administration is committed to bringing all Americans unjustly held overseas home.🎗️

Innocent civilians killed. U.S. citizens kidnapped. Facilities attacked. Up to $10 Million for info on Ahmad al-Hamidawi. Help us stop the violence. Help us stop al-Hamidawi. Send us your tip.

I am pleased to announce the release of American journalist Shelly Kittleson, who was recently kidnapped by members of the foreign terrorist organization Kata’ib Hizballah near Baghdad, Iraq.   The U.S. Department of State extends its appreciation to the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Department of War, U.S. personnel across multiple agencies, and the Iraqi Supreme Judicial Council and our Iraqi partners, for their assistance in securing her release.   This resolution reflects the Trump Administration's steadfast commitment  to the safety and security of American citizens, no matter where they are in the world.   Under President Trump, the wrongful detention or kidnapping of U.S. nationals will not be tolerated. We will continue to use every tool to bring Americans home and to hold accountable those responsible.   We are relieved that this American is now free and are working to support her safe departure from Iraq.

Welcome home Dennis!

Dennis Coyle is on his way home! We remain committed to freeing all Americans wrongfully detained abroad. Today the Taliban took an important step in the right direction, now they must release all remaining Americans immediately, including Mahmood Habibi and Paul Overby.

While we celebrate Dennis’s return home, other American families are still waiting. The Taliban needs to immediately return Mahmood Habibi, Paul Overby, and all other unjustly detained Americans. state.gov/releases/office-of…

Earlier this month, I met Molly, Amy, and Patti as they asked for help freeing their brother Dennis Coyle from detention in Afghanistan. Today, Dennis is on his way home. We thank the UAE and Qatar for their support. The release is a positive step towards ending the practice of hostage diplomacy.

The State Sponsor of Wrongful Detention designation targets hostage takers like Afghanistan. We joined @McCainInstitute at the U.S.-U.K. Transatlantic Conference on Hostage Taking and Arbitrary Detention to discuss deterrence & post recovery support. mccaininstitute.org/resource…

Every country in the world needs to know you cannot have a relationship with the United States if you are holding our citizens unjustly. - Special Envoy Boehler. In line with this principle, the Secretary of State designated Afghanistan a State Sponsor of Wrongful Detention for its continued practice of hostage diplomacy this week. For more information, click the link below. state.gov/releases/office-of…

We designated Afghanistan as a State Sponsor of Wrongful Detention, ensuring that the Taliban will face harsh consequences for taking U.S. nationals. Yesterday, @SecRubio spoke to how the U.S. will designate countries like Iran and Afghanistan.

Yesterday, @SecRubio announced Afghanistan's designation as a State Sponsor of Wrongful Detention. The President is focused on ending the cycle of exploitation, ending the cycle in which Americans are viewed as a valuable commodity, that you can grab an American, you can unjustly hold them, and then try to trade them later on for some diplomatic concession or political concession.