Release follows Eid al-Fitr appeal, but diplomatic tensions persist over remaining detainees
KABUL: The Afghan Taliban on Tuesday released US citizen Dennis Coyle after more than a year in detention, but Washington said the move does not alter its designation of Afghanistan as a “state sponsor of wrongful detention” and urged additional action.
The Taliban foreign ministry said Afghan authorities acted after receiving a letter from Coyle’s mother requesting his pardon during the Islamic festival of Eid al-Fitr. Officials said the Supreme Court of Afghanistan determined his detention period was sufficient and approved his release.
Earlier this month, the United States censured Afghanistan over the detention of American citizens and warned that continued noncompliance could trigger travel restrictions on US passport holders, a measure currently applied only to North Korea. The US State Department’s hostage affairs office said Coyle’s release does not change the March 9 designation.
“While this is a positive step by the Taliban, more work needs to be done,” Secretary of State Marco Rubio said, adding that Washington continues to seek the release of Mahmood Habibi, Paul Overby, and others it considers unjustly detained.
A Taliban official said Afghanistan does not detain foreign nationals for political reasons, insisting cases are handled through legal channels.
A senior US official said Coyle, 64, was taken from his Kabul home in January 2025 and held without charges in near-solitary confinement. His release followed coordinated diplomatic efforts led by Rubio, with support from the UAE and Qatar and advocacy from his family.
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