American Dennis Coyle freed in Afghanistan after January 2025 arrest

After more than a year in captivity, an American man was released from an Afghanistan jail and on his way home. 

The U.S. Department of State announced Tuesday that Dennis Coyle, 64, was freed after being held without charges for approximately 14 months.

The backstory:

In January 2025, Coyle was detained without charges by Taliban intelligence at his Kabul home, Special Envoy for Hostage Affairs Adam Boehler told Fox News.

Since his arrest, he had been held in near-solitary confinement, Boehler continued, adding that Coyle had not committed a crime and was being used as leverage.

Coyle had been legally working in Afghanistan for more than two decades as an academic researcher supporting language communities, FOX News reported.

What they're saying:

"Today, after more than a year of captivity in Afghanistan, Dennis Coyle is on his way home," Secretary of State Marco Rubio said. 

"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."

Big picture view:

The State Department announcement noted the number of detained Americans in other countries who have been freed since President Donald Trump took office. 

"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," the agency said.

Including those Americans and individuals from other countries, 176 people have been released from wrongful detention or captivity overseas during the Trump administration, according to Boehler.

What's next:

The State Department also used the announcement of Coyle’s release to renew calls for Afghanistan to release other detained Americans, including Mahmood Habibi and Paul Overby.

Its statement ended by asserting the Taliban "must end their practice of hostage diplomacy."