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The Trump administration said Tuesday that an American citizen detained in Afghanistan for more than a year has been released.
U.S. Special Envoy for Hostage Affairs Adam Boehler said 64-year-old Dennis Coyle, an American academic who has spent nearly two decades working in Afghanistan, had been held despite committing no crime.
“The United States welcomes the release of American citizen Dennis Coyle, who was wrongfully detained in Afghanistan for more than a year,” Boehler said. “President Trump made clear: the United States will not tolerate the unjust detention of its citizens — anywhere. His personal determination — executed by Secretary of State Marco Rubio and a fully aligned interagency team — has driven a shift to accountability, pressure and results.”
Coyle was detained by the Taliban in Kabul last year while working legally in Afghanistan as an academic researcher supporting language communities, according to his family.
“Today, our hearts are filled with overwhelming gratitude and praise to God for sustaining Dennis’ life and bringing him back home after what has been the most challenging and uncertain 421 days of our lives,” Coyle’s family said in a statement to CBS News.
Earlier this month, Secretary of State Marco Rubio designated Afghanistan a “state sponsor of wrongful detention” and called for the release of Americans being held unjustly.
“The Taliban must end their practice of hostage diplomacy,” Rubio told Fox News. “President Trump is committed to ending unjust detentions overseas – Dennis joins over 100 Americans who have been freed in the past 15 months under his second term in office.”
Afghan officials have denied accusations that Americans are being detained as political leverage, saying individuals are held only when they are accused of committing crimes. The Trump administration said it has helped secure the release of more than 100 Americans and a total of 176 detainees worldwide during the past 15 months.