Taliban Free US Academic Dennis Coyle After Over a Year in Detention
Taliban Free US Academic Dennis Coyle After Over a Year in Detention
Dennis Coyle, an American researcher detained in Afghanistan for more than a year, was released around Eid al-Fitr, as tensions over detention policies continue.
Afghanistan’s Taliban authorities released American academic Dennis Coyle after more than a year in detention. He was freed in Kabul on Eid al-Fitr, with the foreign ministry indicating the decision followed an appeal from his family and after Afghanistan’s supreme court deemed his imprisonment sufficient.
Coyle was detained in January 2025 on accusations of violating unspecified laws; Afghan authorities did not publicly specify which laws.
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio welcomed the release, saying it was a positive step, while noting that more work remains to end unjust detentions overseas. Rubio said, "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," adding that the move should not end the effort.
The United States has designated Afghanistan as a sponsor of wrongful detention, accusing the Taliban of hostage diplomacy. Afghanistan has rejected the accusation, saying detainees are arrested for violating laws, not to gain concessions.
The Taliban were believed to be holding at least four U.S. nationals, including Coyle and Mahmood Habibi; Habibi’s family has said he was seized in 2022, though Afghan authorities have denied holding him.
The release comes amid ongoing debates over detentions and diplomatic leverage, with families seeking clarity and the international community calling for accountability.
