Taliban officials in Afghanistan freed American researcher Dennis Coyle on Tuesday following more than 12 months of detention, timing the release to coincide with Eid al-Fitr, the celebration marking Ramadan’s conclusion.
According to Afghanistan’s foreign ministry, Coyle was set free in the capital city of Kabul after his family made appeals and the nation’s Supreme Court determined “his previous imprisonment sufficient.”
The academic was taken into custody in January 2025 amid accusations of legal violations, though Taliban leadership never disclosed the specific charges against him.
The ministry revealed that both the United Arab Emirates and Qatar served as intermediaries in securing Coyle’s freedom. Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi held discussions in Kabul with former U.S. Afghanistan envoy Zalmay Khalilzad prior to the release.
Just weeks ago, the State Department labeled Afghanistan a nation that sponsors wrongful detention, claiming the country practices “hostage diplomacy.” This designation places Afghanistan alongside Iran as nations the U.S. accuses of imprisoning Americans to gain political advantages.
Taliban leadership has pushed back against American claims that they detain foreign nationals for diplomatic leverage, maintaining that arrests occur solely for legal infractions rather than bargaining purposes.
The Foreign Ministry stated Afghanistan freed Coyle “based on humanitarian sympathy and goodwill, and believes that such steps can further strengthen the atmosphere of trust between countries.” The statement continued that Kabul “also expresses the hope that both countries will find solutions to the remaining problems through understanding and constructive dialogue in the future.”
State Department officials have not yet responded to news of Coyle’s freedom.
At least one additional American remains in Taliban custody. Mahmood Habibi, a businessman with dual Afghan-American citizenship who worked for a telecommunications contractor in Kabul, disappeared in 2022.
While the FBI and Habibi’s relatives believe Taliban forces captured him, Afghan officials deny holding the businessman.
Ahmad Habibi, Mahmood’s brother, expressed gratitude for Coyle’s release while stating “we hope that our family will soon have the same feeling of relief, when Mahmood is returned home to us.”
