A U.S. citizen held by the Taliban for more than a year without charges has been released.
Special Envoy for Hostage Affairs Adam Boehler made the announcement, telling Fox News that American man Dennis Coyle was “detained in Afghanistan for more than a year.” Boehler added that Coyle “committed no crime. He was used as leverage.”
“President Trump made clear: the United States will not tolerate the unjust detention of its citizens—anywhere. His personal determination — executed by Secretary of State Marco Rubio and a fully aligned interagency team—has driven a shift to accountability, pressure and results,” he said.
Rubio said in a statement that Coyle now joins “over 100 Americans who have been freed in the past 15 months under his second term in office.”
“We thank the United Arab Emirates for its support in securing Dennis’ release. We also appreciate Qatar’s continued support and advocacy for Americans unjustly detained in Afghanistan,” Rubio said. “While this is a positive step by the Taliban, more work needs to be done. We are still seeking the immediate return of Mahmood Habibi, Paul Overby, and all other unjustly detained Americans. The Taliban must end their practice of hostage diplomacy.”
Earlier this month, Rubio designated Afghanistan as a “State Sponsor of Wrongful Detention.” He stated that the Taliban “continues to use terrorist tactics, kidnapping individuals for ransom or to seek policy concessions. These despicable tactics need to end.”
“It is not safe for Americans to travel to Afghanistan because the Taliban continues to unjustly detain our fellow Americans and other foreign nationals,” he stressed, urging the Taliban to release Coyle, Mahmoud Habibi, and “all Americans unjustly detained in Afghanistan now and commit to cease the practice of hostage diplomacy forever.”
