American Academic Released by Taliban After Year-Long Detention

American academic Dennis Coyle, detained for over a year, was released by Afghan authorities during Eid al-Fitr following mediation by UAE and Qatar. Coyle's imprisonment was deemed sufficient by Afghanistan's Supreme Court. The US previously labeled Afghanistan as a wrongful detention sponsor.

American academic Dennis Coyle was released by Afghan authorities on Tuesday following more than a year of detention in Kabul. His release coincided with the Muslim holiday of Eid al-Fitr.

The move came after an appeal from Coyle's family and the consideration by Afghanistan's Supreme Court of his previous imprisonment as sufficient. Coyle was initially detained in January 2025, allegedly for violating unspecified laws.

The United Arab Emirates and Qatar reportedly helped mediate the release. The US State Department had earlier labeled Afghanistan as a sponsor of wrongful detention, a claim that Afghan authorities reject, attributing arrests to legal violations, not negotiations.

(With inputs from agencies.)