A U.S. citizen held by the Taliban in Afghanistan for nine months has been released following negotiations facilitated by Qatari mediators, according to officials. The individual, identified as Amir Amiry, is the fifth American to be liberated from detention in Afghanistan this year, and he is currently traveling back to the United States.
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio expressed gratitude toward Qatar for its diplomatic efforts, which he emphasized were essential in achieving Mr. Amiry’s release. The specifics of Mr. Amiry’s detention remain unclear, although Rubio described it as a case of wrongful detention.
Rubio also noted that other American citizens continue to be “unjustly detained” in Afghanistan and that previous administrations, including the Trump administration, had been engaged in efforts to secure their release. The Qatari foreign ministry indicated that Mr. Amiry was first en route to Doha before heading to the U.S.
Negotiations for Mr. Amiry’s release began in March, starting with a meeting arranged by Qatar between him and the U.S. hostage envoy, Adam Boehler. A significant breakthrough was reported this weekend, which led to his eventual release.
This development follows other recent cases of American citizens being freed. In January, two Americans were released in a prisoner swap involving the U.S. and the Taliban. One of those individuals, Ryan Corbett, was abducted in 2022 during a work trip. In exchange, the U.S. released Khan Mohammad, who had been serving a life sentence in California on drug trafficking and terrorism charges. Later, in March, two additional Americans, including George Glezmann, who was detained during a tourist visit, were released. Additionally, a British couple living in Afghanistan for nearly two decades was released earlier this month through similar Qatari mediation efforts.
Source: https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cvgv1y989xjo?at_medium=RSS&at_campaign=rss