The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan has announced that it has released an American citizen, Dennis Coyle, on humanitarian grounds during Eid al-Fitr.
In a statement, the ministry said Dennis Coyle, a 65-year-old university professor from the state of Colorado, had been detained for violating the country’s applicable laws, adding that the decision to release him was taken after appeals from his family. The family had requested his release as a gesture of compassion and clemency during the Eid al-Fitr holiday.
The statement said the Supreme Court reviewed the matter and determined that the time already served by the detainee was sufficient. Following the ruling, authorities released Dennis Coyle and handed him over to his family in Kabul.
The Islamic Emirate said the Taliban regime is committed to humanitarian principles and goodwill, expressing hope that such steps would help strengthen mutual trust between countries. The development, framed within the context of Afghanistan Releases American Detainee, signals an attempt to project a conciliatory posture.
The ministry also acknowledged the role of the United Arab Emirates in facilitating the process and thanked it for its cooperation and assistance.
His family had described his detention as “wrongful and unjust,” saying he was being held under harsh conditions and in near-total isolation.The former U.S. Special Representative for Afghanistan, Zalmay Khalilzad, told reporters at Kabul International Airport that “the release of the American citizen was a good decision by the [Taliban].”
