WASHINGTON (Reuters) -The U.S. on Monday announced a reward of up to $5 million for information leading to the location and release of Mahmoud Habibi, an Afghan-American businessman who was detained by the Taliban’s intelligence service on August 10, 2022.
A former civil aviation chief under Afghanistan’s ousted Western-backed government, Habibi and his driver were seized along with 29 other employees of the Kabul telecommunications firm for which he worked, said a State Department notice.
All except Habibi and one other person were subsequently released.
“Mr. Habibi has not been heard from since his initial arrest and the so-called Taliban government has yet to provide any information regarding his whereabouts or condition,” said the notice issued by the department’s Rewards for Justice program.
“Rewards for Justice is offering a reward of up to $5 million for information leading to the location, recovery, and return of” Habibi, it said.
The Taliban, who seized Kabul as the last U.S. troops pulled out in August 2021 after a 20-year war, deny holding Habibi.
(Reporting by Jonathan Landay)
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