Taliban Releases U.S. Citizen Dennis Coyle After Year-Long Detention

Afghanistan’s Taliban-led government has released an American national, Dennis Coyle, who had been held in detention for more than a year.

Coyle, an academic researcher, was arrested in January 2025 in Kabul and remained in custody without publicly disclosed charges. Afghan authorities claimed he violated local laws, although the specifics were never clarified.

His release was announced on Tuesday and coincided with the Islamic holiday of Eid al-Fitr. According to Afghanistan’s Foreign Ministry, the country’s Supreme Court reviewed his case and deemed the period he had already spent in detention as sufficient.

The decision followed appeals from Coyle’s family, including a direct plea from his mother, and was facilitated through diplomatic efforts involving countries such as the United Arab Emirates and Qatar.

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio welcomed the development, describing it as a positive step while stressing that more work remains to secure the release of other Americans believed to be held in Afghanistan.

Coyle’s detention had earlier been classified by the United States as “wrongful,” with Washington accusing the Taliban government of engaging in what it termed “hostage diplomacy.” Afghanistan has denied these allegations, insisting that foreign nationals are detained only for legal violations.

Attention has now shifted to other unresolved cases, including that of Afghan-American businessman Mahmood Habibi, who disappeared in 2022 and is believed by the U.S. officials to be in Taliban custody; an assertion the Afghan authorities deny.

Coyle is expected to return home following his release, marking the end of a detention that had drawn international concern and diplomatic pressure.