Kabul, March 24, 2026: Afghanistan’s Taliban-led government on Tuesday announced the release of a US national, Dennis Coyle, who had been detained for more than a year.
According to a statement issued by the Afghan foreign ministry, the decision followed an appeal by Coyle’s family to the country’s supreme leadership, requesting his release ahead of Eid.
“The Supreme Court of the Islamic Emirate deemed his period of detention sufficient and decided on his release,” the statement said.
The announcement came after a high-level meeting involving Afghanistan’s Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi, former US special envoy Zalmay Khalilzad, and the UAE ambassador to Kabul Saif Mohammed Al-Ketbi, along with a member of Coyle’s family.
Officials said the United Arab Emirates played a key role in facilitating the release, after which Coyle was reunited with his family in Kabul.
Coyle, 64, had been arrested in January 2025 while working in Afghanistan as a linguist and academic researcher, according to advocacy groups. His family maintained that he was legally engaged in research aimed at supporting Afghan communities and documenting the country’s linguistic diversity.
They also alleged that he had been held in near-solitary conditions, with limited access to basic facilities and medical care.
Coyle first travelled to Afghanistan in the early 2000s and had since developed close ties with local communities, contributing to language preservation and cultural research.
The release comes amid ongoing diplomatic engagement between United States and Afghan authorities. Earlier this month, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Washington had formally designated Afghanistan among countries involved in “wrongful detentions,” a move Kabul described as “regrettable.”
Despite tensions, Afghan officials pointed to continued dialogue and past releases, noting that five American citizens were freed in 2025 as a “goodwill gesture,” often with mediation support from regional partners such as Qatar.
The latest development is being seen as a positive step in ongoing diplomatic efforts and humanitarian engagement between the two sides.
