Afghanistan announces release of detained US linguist Dennis Coyle
The Straits Times
Afghanistan's Taliban government has released US linguist Dennis Coyle after holding him for over a year. Read more at straitstimes.com.
KABUL – Afghanistan’s Taliban government announced on March 24 the release of an American who had been detained for more than a year after a letter from his family requesting his freedom.
The Foreign Ministry said the family of linguist and researcher Dennis Coyle wrote to the supreme leader of Afghanistan, asking that he be released and pardoned for Eid.
“The Supreme Court of the Islamic Emirate deemed his period of detention sufficient and decided on his release,” a statement read.
The announcement came after a meeting of Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi, US former special envoy to Afghanistan Zalmay Khalilzad, the United Arab Emirates’ Ambassador to Kabul Saif Mohammed Al-Ketbi, and a member of Mr Coyle’s family.
The UAE facilitated the release, the ministry said, adding that the decision was made on humanitarian grounds and as a gesture of “goodwill”.
Mr Coyle, 64, appeared relieved at a short news conference at Kabul airport alongside Mr Khalilzad.
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