US citizen Dennis Coyle released from Afghan detention center

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio Welcomes Coyle’s Release

A US citizen detained in Afghanistan for over a year has been released, according to the country’s Foreign Ministry. Dennis Coyle, a linguist and researcher, had been held since January 2025 while working with Afghan language communities.

Coyle’s family had written to the country’s leadership requesting his release and pardon, which was granted by the Supreme Court of the Islamic Emirate. The decision was made on humanitarian grounds and as a gesture of goodwill.

A meeting between Afghan Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi, former US Special Envoy to Afghanistan Zalmay Khalilzad, UAE Ambassador to Kabul Saif Mohammed al-Ketbi, and a member of Coyle’s family facilitated the release. The UAE was involved in securing Coyle’s release, according to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio has thanked Qatar and the UAE for their support in securing Coyle’s release. In a social media post, Rubio stated that the release is a positive step towards ending the practice of hostage diplomacy.

Coyle had been held in near-solitary conditions with limited access to medical care. The Taliban authorities cited violations of Afghanistan’s laws as the reason for his detention. This marks the second time this year that US citizens have been released by the Taliban, following five other individuals who were also released on humanitarian grounds last year.

The release of Coyle has been welcomed by Rubio, who had previously designated Afghanistan’s Taliban government as a “state sponsor of wrongful detention”.

Source: Al Jazeera