Afghanistan Releases American Academic Dennis Coyle After More Than A Year/ Newslooks/ WASHINGTON/ J. Mansour/ Morning Edition/ American academic Dennis Coyle released after over a year in Taliban custody. U.S. officials welcome release but call for other Americans to be freed. UAE and Qatar helped mediate negotiations leading to release.
Quick Looks
- American academic released in Kabul
- Detained since January 2025
- Taliban cites humanitarian reasons for release
- U.S. calls for return of other detained Americans
- UAE and Qatar helped mediate
- One American still believed held in Afghanistan
Deep Look: Afghanistan Releases American Academic Dennis Coyle After More Than A Year
Afghanistan’s Taliban authorities released American academic Dennis Coyle on Tuesday after holding him for more than a year, marking a rare diplomatic breakthrough between Kabul and Washington.
Afghanistan’s Foreign Ministry said Coyle was released in Kabul during Eid al-Fitr, the Muslim holiday marking the end of Ramadan. Officials said the decision followed an appeal from his family and a ruling by Afghanistan’s Supreme Court, which determined his detention had been sufficient.
Coyle had been detained in January 2025. Afghan authorities accused him of violating local laws but never publicly specified the charges.
US Welcomes Release
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio welcomed the development, calling it a positive step while urging Afghanistan to release other detained Americans.
“President Trump is committed to ending unjust detentions overseas,” Rubio said. “Dennis joins over 100 Americans who have been freed in the past 15 months.”
Rubio added that the United States is continuing to seek the release of additional Americans believed to be detained or missing in Afghanistan.
Other Americans Still Missing
One of those cases involves Mahmood Habibi, an Afghan-American businessman who disappeared in Afghanistan in 2022. U.S. officials and Habibi’s family believe Taliban forces detained him, though Afghan authorities deny holding him.
Habibi’s brother welcomed Coyle’s release but said the family is still waiting for similar news.
“We hope our family will soon have the same feeling of relief,” he said.
Another American, Paul Overby, disappeared in eastern Afghanistan in 2014 while researching a book. U.S. officials continue efforts to determine his whereabouts.
Dispute Over Detentions
Earlier this month, the U.S. State Department designated Afghanistan as a country engaged in wrongful detention, accusing it of using Americans as leverage in diplomatic disputes.
Afghan officials rejected that claim, saying foreigners are detained only for legal violations and not for political bargaining.
Afghan Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi said Coyle was released following a judicial process and described the move as a humanitarian gesture.
Mediation Efforts
Both U.S. and Afghan officials credited the United Arab Emirates and Qatar for helping facilitate the release. Afghan authorities also confirmed that former U.S. envoy Zalmay Khalilzad met with Taliban officials in Kabul before Coyle’s release.
Afghanistan’s Foreign Ministry said the decision reflected goodwill and could help improve relations between the two countries.
Officials also expressed hope that remaining disputes between Washington and Kabul could be resolved through dialogue.
Background
The Taliban returned to power in Afghanistan in 2021 following the withdrawal of U.S. forces, ending two decades of U.S. military presence after the 9/11 attacks.
Since then, diplomatic relations between Washington and Kabul have remained limited, with negotiations often occurring through intermediaries such as Qatar and the United Arab Emirates.
Coyle’s release marks one of the most significant humanitarian gestures between the two sides in recent months.
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