Taliban Agrees to Release U.S. Detainee Dennis Coyle

The Afghan Taliban has agreed to release U.S. detainee Dennis Coyle following his mother's request for his pardon on Eid al-Fitr. This decision comes after the U.S. designated the Taliban as a 'state sponsor of wrongful detention' and demanded the release of all American citizens detained in Afghanistan.

The Afghan Taliban has made the decision to release U.S. detainee Dennis Coyle, responding to a plea from his mother, as indicated by the Taliban government on Tuesday. The decision follows Washington's criticism of Afghanistan over its detention of American citizens.

This month, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio labeled Afghanistan's Taliban government as a 'state sponsor of wrongful detention.' He insisted that Kabul should release all U.S. citizens being held, including Coyle and Mahmood Habibi, the former head of Afghanistan's civil aviation. U.S. sources mentioned possible travel restrictions for citizens to Afghanistan, similar to those for North Korea, if compliance wasn't met.

The Taliban's foreign ministry noted that Afghan authorities received a letter requesting Coyle's release during the Islamic festival of Eid al-Fitr. The Afghan Supreme Court considered his detention period sufficient and had decided on his release. The Taliban stresses its policy of not detaining foreign nationals for political reasons, adhering to its legal framework instead. A senior U.S. official in Washington stated that Coyle's release resulted from extensive efforts highlighted by Marco Rubio and Coyle's family members.

(With inputs from agencies.)