Taliban release US academic held in detention for more than a year

The Taliban in Afghanistan released American academic Dennis Coyle, who had been detained for over a year, on the occasion of Eid al-Fitr. Coyle was arrested in January 2025 for unspecified violations of Afghan law, with the Afghan supreme court deeming his prior imprisonment sufficient. The US Secretary of State welcomed Coyle's release while also mentioning other Americans believed to be unjustly detained in Afghanistan, including Mahmood Habibi and Paul Overby. The US has designated Afghanistan as a sponsor of wrongful detention, accusing them of "hostage diplomacy," a charge Afghanistan denies. The US continues to seek the release of all Americans held in Afghanistan.

Afghanistan released detained US citizen Dennis Coyle, a linguist and researcher, after holding him for over a year. The release followed a plea from Coyle's family to the Afghan leadership, requesting his pardon for Eid al-Fitr. The Afghan Foreign Ministry stated the Supreme Court deemed his detention sufficient and ordered his release as a gesture of goodwill and on humanitarian grounds. The UAE facilitated the release, which was announced after a meeting involving Afghan officials, former US envoy Zalmay Khalilzad, and the UAE ambassador to Kabul. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio welcomed Coyle's release, thanking the UAE and Qatar for their support, and called it a positive step against hostage diplomacy.

The Taliban government in Afghanistan released Dennis Coyle, a US citizen, after detaining him for over a year. The release followed a letter from Coyle's family to the supreme leader of Afghanistan requesting his freedom for the Eid holiday. The Supreme Court of the Islamic Emirate deemed his detention sufficient and ordered his release. The United Arab Emirates facilitated the release, which the foreign ministry stated was a humanitarian gesture of goodwill. Coyle, a linguist and researcher, appeared relieved at a press conference at Kabul airport alongside former US envoy Zalmay Khalilzad.