The Taliban’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs has announced that the group’s Supreme Court has decided to release Dennis Coyle, a U.S. citizen, from detention.
According to the ministry’s statement issued a few minutes ago, Amir Khan Muttaqi met with a member of Coyle’s family, Zalmay Khalilzad, and the United Arab Emirates ambassador in Kabul.
The statement said that after Coyle’s family sent a letter to Hibatullah requesting his release on the occasion of Eid al-Fitr, the Taliban Supreme Court deemed his detention period sufficient and decided to free him.
Amir Khan Muttaqi, the Taliban’s foreign minister, said that the Taliban have not detained any foreign citizens for political purposes; rather, they were held due to “violations of the law.”
He emphasized that countries must ensure the provision of standard consular services to their citizens [in Afghanistan] and that the Taliban are ready to cooperate in this regard.
Muttaqi thanked the United Arab Emirates for its “constructive role in facilitating” Coyle’s release, calling the UAE one of Afghanistan’s close friends. He also acknowledged Qatar’s role in past information exchanges between the Taliban and the detainee’s family.
According to the Taliban Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Khalilzad considered the decision to release Dennis Coyle commendable and described the continuation of talks between the Taliban and the United States on “all matters” as important. He also expressed hope for further progress in bilateral relations in the future.
According to U.S. officials, Dennis Coyle is one of three American citizens currently held in Taliban custody. He had been in Taliban detention for just over a year.
