afghanistan Taliban The government announced on Tuesday the release of U.S. detainee Dennis Coyle, who had been held in Kabul since January 2025.
Coyle’s family has advocated for his release in a heartfelt letter to the government, and afghanistan The foreign ministry said he would be released before Eid al-Fitr, the Islamic holiday celebrating the end of Ramadan.
“The Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan took this action out of humanitarian compassion and goodwill,” the Taliban’s foreign ministry said in a statement, according to the New York Post.
“This further strengthens the atmosphere of trust between the two countries,” the ministry added. “Equally, it expresses the hope that both countries will find ways to resolve remaining issues in the future through mutual understanding and constructive dialogue.”
Also read: Mel Schilling’s family: It’s all about husband Gareth Brisbane and their daughter
Who is Denis Coyle?
Originally from Colorado, Coyle spent about two decades in Afghanistan, focusing on language studies.
He was taken from his apartment in Kabul Taliban Just days ago, two other U.S. detainees, Ryan Corbett and William McEntee, were released.
According to Coyle’s family, he was never accused of any wrongdoing.
A website set up by his family, freedenniscoyle.com, said he was “legally supporting the Afghan community in his capacity as an academic researcher” at the time of his detention.
They said he had been kept in “near isolation, requiring permission to even use the bathroom, and without access to adequate medical care.”
Coyle initially visited Afghanistan in the early 2000s “to investigate Afghanistan’s rich linguistic diversity and help Afghan communities develop resources in their own languages.”
U.S., Afghanistan hold talks on Coyle’s release
Discussions about Coyle’s release began with Afghanistan in late February, CBS News reported, citing a Taliban official.
Earlier this month, Secretary of State Marco Rubio labeled the Kabul regime a “state sponsor of wrongful detentions,” accusing the Taliban of “unjustly” detaining Americans and other foreigners by using “terror tactics.”
“We are grateful to the United Arab Emirates for its support in securing Dennis’ release. We are also grateful to Qatar for its continued support and advocacy for Americans unjustly detained in Afghanistan,” Rubio said in a statement on Tuesday.
