Afghan Taliban have released United States citizen Dennis Coyle, who had been detained in the country for over a year, following a plea from his family.
Afghanistan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs said Coyle’s family requested his release and pardon in honor of the Muslim holiday Eid al-Fitr. “The Supreme Court of the Islamic Emirate deemed his period of detention sufficient and decided on his release,” the ministry stated.
The decision followed a meeting involving Afghan Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi, former US Special Envoy to Afghanistan Zalmay Khalilzad, the United Arab Emirates Ambassador to Kabul Saif Mohammed al-Ketbi, and a member of Coyle’s family. The UAE facilitated the release, which Afghanistan described as a humanitarian gesture and a “goodwill” measure.
Coyle, a linguist and researcher, was detained in January 2025 while legally working to support Afghan language communities, according to the Foley Foundation, an organization advocating for US citizens detained abroad. The group said he was held in near-solitary conditions with limited access to basic facilities and medical care.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio thanked the UAE and Qatar for their role in securing Coyle’s release, calling it “a positive step towards ending the practice of hostage diplomacy.” Earlier this month, Rubio had labeled Afghanistan’s Taliban government as a “state sponsor of wrongful detention” and urged the release of all unjustly detained Americans, including Coyle and Mahmoud Habibi.
The Afghan Foreign Ministry stated that Coyle was detained for “violations of Afghanistan’s applicable laws,” emphasizing that the country does not hold foreign nationals for political purposes. Last year, the Taliban released five other US citizens in what officials described as a similar “goodwill gesture.”
Coyle was photographed at Kabul airport on March 24, 2026, alongside Khalilzad and the UAE ambassador, marking his return to freedom.
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