OAN Staff Lillian Mann
10:17 AM – Wednesday, March 25, 2026
After more than a year in Taliban captivity, American academic Dennis Coyle has been released, according to Special Envoy for Hostage Affairs Adam Boehler.
The 64-year-old Colorado native, who spent nearly two decades working in Afghanistan, was reportedly abducted from his Kabul home in January 2025 and held in solitary confinement without charge.
While the Taliban claimed Coyle had violated Afghan law, Boehler confirmed he committed no crimes and was being used as political leverage. Following his release on Tuesday, the UAE foreign ministry reported that Coyle has arrived safely in the United Arab Emirates.
“Today, our hearts are filled with overwhelming gratitude and praise to God for sustaining Dennis’ life and bringing him back home after what has been the most challenging and uncertain 421 days of our lives,” Coyle’s family told CBS News.
Coyle’s family maintained that his work in Afghanistan was entirely legal, centered on his academic research to support local language communities.
Seeking his freedom, the family reportedly petitioned the Taliban’s foreign ministry for his release in honor of Eid al-Fitr, the holiday marking the end of Ramadan. Following this request, the Taliban court deemed Coyle’s time served as “sufficient” and approved his return.
Coyle’s release comes just six days after the return of another American, Ryan Corbett, at the start of President Trump’s second term.
His homecoming marks a milestone for the current administration, which has now secured the release of 176 individuals — including over 100 Americans — wrongfully detained or held captive abroad.
“President Trump made clear: the United States will not tolerate the unjust detention of its citizens anywhere. His personal determination- executed by Secretary of State Marco Rubio- a fully aligned interagency team- has driven a shift to accountability, pressure and results,” said the Special Envoy for Hostage Affairs.
However, while the release of Coyle is currently being celebrated, the U.S. is still searching for other unjustly detained Americans, such as Mahmood Habibi, Paul Overby, among others. Earlier this month, Boehler also added that three other innocent Americans are currently being held captive in Afghanistan as well.
“The Taliban must end their practice of hostage diplomacy. 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.”
Coyle’s family has since emphasized that they are “profoundly grateful” to Trump, stating, “Your efforts as mediators, your compassion, and your commitment to diplomacy have given our family the most precious gift imaginable, Dennis’ freedom.”
Coyle is being released “based on humanitarian sympathy and goodwill, and [he] believes that such steps can further strengthen the atmosphere of trust between countries,” according to a statement made by the Afghan foreign ministry.
The ministry added that Kabul “also expresses the hope that both countries will find solutions to the remaining problems through understanding and constructive dialogue in the future.”
Negotiations remain complex, however, as the United States does not recognize the Taliban as Afghanistan’s legitimate government — a diplomatic stance that creates significant hurdles for hostage release discussions.
“Today, after more than a year of captivity in Afghanistan, Dennis Coyle is on his way home,” the U.S. State Department 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.
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