Finally free: American man ‘unjustly detained’ by Taliban for more than a year gets released
Dennis Coyle, the 64-year-old American citizen held by the Taliban for more than a year without charges was freed on Tuesday and is now on his way home.
Coyle is an academic who spent nearly two decades legally working in Afghanistan, and was swept out of his Kabul home in January 2025, being detained in near solitary confinement.
“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.
JUST IN EXCLUSIVE: The first photo of American Dennis Coyle as a free man.
President Trump said during our @NewsNation interview on January 20, 2026 that he would work to get Dennis released. He directed his team to get it done and two months later, Dennis is coming home.
— Katie Pavlich (@KatiePavlich) March 24, 2026
“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.
“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.”
WATCH:
Secretary of State Marco Rubio recently designated Afghanistan as a state sponsor of wrongful detention. Dennis Coyle, an American, has been wrongfully held by the Taliban for 400+ days. Here’s an update on his status -> pic.twitter.com/b8unwtHA2j
— Katie Pavlich (@KatiePavlich) March 13, 2026
Trump’s Secretary of State Marco Rubio said: “Earlier this month, I met Molly, Amy, and Patti as they asked for help freeing their brother Dennis Coyle from detention in Afghanistan. Today, Dennis is on his way home. We thank the UAE and Qatar for their support. The release is a positive step towards ending the practice of hostage diplomacy.”
To date, the Trump administration has brought home 176 individuals, including more than 100 Americans, from wrongful detention or captivity abroad, Special Envoy for Hostage Affairs Adam Boehler told Fox News.
#Photos:
Dennis Coyle, a U.S. citizen who was released today by the Taliban.The release of this American citizen came after threats and pressure from the Donald Trump administration, and following Zalmay Khalilzad’s visit to Kabul.
The Taliban say that Dennis Coyle was… https://t.co/BmZXJY7bT3 pic.twitter.com/LuCCe7sF09
— Aamaj News English (@aamajnews_EN) March 24, 2026
“In Venezuela, all detained Americans were released following the capture of Nicolás Maduro, while in Iran, the Islamist regime has routinely taken Americans hostage over decades and continues to detain Americans today, Boehler said,” according to Fox News.
“In Israel, the president and his team’s dogged persistence resulted in the release of all hostages held by Hamas,” Boehler said.
“Behind these outcomes are professionals whose names will never be known – individuals who take real risks to bring Americans home. We will not accept hostage diplomacy. We will impose consequences. Americans remain detained abroad. We will not stop until every single American is home.”
Follow Joe on X @JoeKovacsNews