On August 10, 2022, Mahmood Shah Habibi, a US citizen and former head of Afghanistan's civil aviation authority, was taken from his vehicle in Kabul by Taliban
Summary
On August 10, 2022, Mahmood Shah Habibi, a US citizen and former head of Afghanistan's civil aviation authority, was taken from his vehicle in Kabul by Taliban intelligence (General Directorate of Intelligence). His driver and 29 other employees of Asia Consultancy Group were also detained. The Taliban have consistently denied holding Habibi and have provided no information about his condition or whereabouts. On the fourth anniversary of his disappearance (August 10, 2026), the FBI, US officials, and his family renewed calls for his return. At least one other employee from the telecommunications company is also reportedly still in Taliban custody. The case remains unresolved.
Where
We record how precisely an event can be placed, because "somewhere in the province" and "this street" are different claims.
Placed to province only. No source names a district, so the entry is recorded at the coarsest honest level rather than implying a precision we do not have.
Legal classification
Each code names the treaty provision the conduct engages, so the assignment can be checked rather than trusted.
Enforced disappearance · primary
ICPPED; ICCPR Art. 9
Assigned from the reported conduct and confirmed on review.
Arbitrary arrest / detention
ICCPR Art. 9; UDHR Art. 9
Assigned from the reported conduct and confirmed on review.
Cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment
ICCPR Art. 7
Assigned from the reported conduct and confirmed on review.
Also coded as: Arbitrary detention, Violation of human dignity
Sources
7 independent reports of one event. Field-channel material is used for corroboration only and is never attributed.
How this entry was made
Automated collection finds candidate events. It never publishes one. This entry has not been accepted as confirmed — the stage it stopped at is shown below.
Cite this entry
Quote the identifier and the grade. A grade can change if new sourcing arrives, so include your retrieval date.
Afghanistan Human Rights Center, “On August 10, 2022, Mahmood Shah Habibi, a US citizen and former head of Afghanistan's civil aviation authority, was taken from his vehicle in Kabul by Taliban ”, entry AHRC-2022-0810-KAB-05, grade: Corroborated, 2022-08-10. Retrieved 23 August 2026.