American Dennis Coyle released from Afghanistan after a yearnewsline24

March 24 (UPI) — American Dennis Coyle, who has been held captive in Afghanistan for a year, was released Tuesday after his family pleaded with the Taliban to release him for Eid al-Fitr.

The Afghanistan foreign ministry said that after the letter, Coyle “would be pardoned and released” for Eid, the holiday at the end of Ramadan.

Coyle, 64, is a linguist from Pueblo, Colo. He has lived in Afghanistan for more than 20 years studying languages and working with Afghanis. He was taken by force from his Kabul apartment. No charges were ever filed.

“We thank the United Arab Emirates for its support in securing Dennis’ release. We also appreciate Qatar’s continued support and advocacy for Americans unjustly detained in Afghanistan,” Secretary of State Marco Rubio said in the statement. “While this is a positive step by the Taliban, more work needs to be done. We are still seeking the immediate return of Mahmood Habibi, Paul Overby and all other unjustly detained Americans. The Taliban must end their practice of hostage diplomacy.”

The foreign ministry said that Coyle was released “based on humanitarian sympathy and goodwill, and believes that such steps can further strengthen the atmosphere of trust between countries.” Kabul “also expresses the hope that both countries will find solutions to the remaining problems through understanding and constructive dialogue in the future.”

“Earlier this month, I met Molly, Amy and Patti as they asked for help freeing their brother Dennis Coyle from detention in Afghanistan,” Rubio wrote on X Tuesday morning. “Today, Dennis is on his way home.”

Because the United States has no diplomatic relationship with the Taliban, Qatar worked on behalf of U.S. interests. An unnamed CBS source with knowledge of the release said that a Qatari team visited Coyle regularly to check on his health and help him communicate with his family.

The Taliban still has the remains of Overby, another unnamed American citizen and Habibi, though it has never acknowledged that it has Habibi. Overby was an American author kidnapped in 2014 by the Taliban. Habibi was in Afghanistan for work and was kidnapped in 2022 with his coworkers.

Habibi’s family told CBS News Tuesday that they applaud Coyle’s release.

“My family and I are grateful to hear the news of Dennis’ release,” his brother Ahmad Habibi said in a statement. “We hope that our family will soon have the same feeling of relief, when Mahmood is returned home to us. The U.S. government has overwhelming evidence that the Taliban’s General Directorate of Intelligence arrested my brother. Taliban denials of this obvious fact make it impossible for the people of Afghanistan to get the foreign assistance they need.”

Earlier this month, the State Department announced that it designated Afghanistan as a sponsor of wrongful detention.

Afghanistan and Pakistan are fighting a war, and they agreed to a cease-fire for Eid that is scheduled to end Tuesday night.