Afghanistan’s Taliban authorities have freed United States citizen Dennis Coyle, a 64-year-old linguist and academic researcher, following more than one year of detention in Kabul.
Coyle, originally from Colorado, was released on Tuesday, 24 March 2026, without formal charges ever having been publicly disclosed by the Afghan authorities.
The Taliban Foreign Ministry stated that the decision followed a formal appeal from Coyle’s family, particularly a letter from his mother requesting pardon and release in connection with Eid al-Fitr, the festival marking the end of Ramadan.
Afghanistan’s Supreme Court subsequently determined that the period of detention already served was sufficient, leading to his unconditional release as a gesture of goodwill.
Coyle was seen at Kabul airport shortly after his release, where he departed for the United Arab Emirates with facilitation from Qatari and Emirati officials.
The development has been welcomed by the US government as a positive step, although it does not alter the recent American designation of Afghanistan as a sponsor of wrongful detention.
