US Offering $5M Reward for Info on Kidnapped American in Afghanistan
WASHINGTON — The State Department is offering a reward of up to $5 million for information leading to the location, recovery, and return of Mahmood Shah Habibi, an American businessman kidnapped in Afghanistan in 2022.
Information on Habibi is scarce. What is known, State Department spokeswoman Tammy Bruce said earlier this week, is that he “disappeared” and “he was taken and has not been heard from since.”
At the time of his abduction on Aug. 10, 2022, Habibi was working for a telecommunications firm as a consultant.
According to U.S. officials, he was one of 30 telecom employees arrested that day. They believe he is still being held without being charged and is unable to contact his family.
Last year, The Hill published an op-ed written by Habibi’s older brother Ahmad, who said his family has been working with the State Department “in the hope that the Taliban would realize that my brother’s arrest was a mistake.”
In January, then-President Joe Biden reported the Taliban had rejected a “significant” offer from the U.S. to free three Americans, including Habibi.The State Department’s Reward for Justice Program is urging anyone with information to reach out to https://rewardsforjustice.net/.
We're proud to make our journalism accessible to everyone, but producing high-quality journalism comes at a cost. That's why we need your help. By making a contribution today, you'll be supporting TWN and ensuring that we can keep providing our journalism for free to the public.
Donate now and help us continue to publish TWN’s distinctive journalism. Thank you for your support!
