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3h ago

Taliban Frees American Dennis Coyle After More Than a Year in Custody

U.S. pressure under a new wrongful‑detention label combined with UAE and Qatar mediation cleared the way for the handover.

American Dennis Coyle, second from right, is accompanied by an unidentified person after being released by Afghanistan's Taliban authorities, who had held him for over a year, before boarding a plane at the airport in Kabul, Afghanistan, Tuesday, March 24, 2026. (AP Photo/Mudassir Safi)
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Overview

  • Dennis Coyle, a 64-year-old American researcher, was released by Taliban authorities on Tuesday after roughly 14 months in detention and is heading home following a handover in Kabul.
  • His family and U.S. officials say he was held in near-solitary confinement without formal charges, while Afghanistan’s Supreme Court later said his time served was sufficient and granted release tied to Eid al‑Fitr.
  • U.S. officials welcomed the outcome, said no swap or concession was made, and credited added leverage from this month’s designation of Afghanistan as a state sponsor of wrongful detention.
  • The Taliban said Coyle had violated Afghan laws and described the release as a humanitarian goodwill step, rejecting U.S. claims that it engages in hostage diplomacy.
  • The United Arab Emirates facilitated the transfer, with Qatar also credited, after a Kabul meeting that included Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi, former U.S. envoy Zalmay Khalilzad, and a member of Coyle’s family, as Washington continues to press for Mahmood Habibi and Paul Overby.