Monday marks one 12 months since Dennis Coyle, a 64-year-old tutorial from Colorado, was taken by power from his Kabul condo by the Taliban. His abduction got here simply six days after one other American, Ryan Corbett, was launched at first of President Trump’s second time period.
Coyle, who spent practically twenty years in Afghanistan conducting language analysis, is being held by the Taliban Normal Directorate of Intelligence in near-solitary confinement with no costs filed, in line with his household. Coyle’s seize so quickly after Corbett’s launch illustrates the continuing dangers confronted by Individuals in Afghanistan, even these with long-standing authorized standing and deep ties to native communities.
Household of Dennis Coyle
“Dennis is a delicate, soft-spoken man who all the time listens deeply to others, usually over a comforting cup of sizzling inexperienced tea, embodying the Afghan cultural emphasis of hospitality and respectful presence,” Molly Lengthy, one among Coyle’s sisters, informed CBS Information. “In his practically twenty years in Afghanistan, Dennis faithfully honored the Afghan cultural values of hospitality and kindness.”
Coyle’s mom, Donna, 83, and his three sisters, Molly, Amy and Patti, have mentioned the isolation has been crushing. He has missed births, household celebrations, and on a regular basis moments. Based on the household, Coyle is confined to a basement room, the place he should ask permission to make use of the lavatory.
“This previous 12 months has been extremely difficult for our household, as we have grow to be entangled within the abhorrent apply of hostage diplomacy amid my brother’s wrongful detainment by the Taliban since January 27, 2025,” Lengthy mentioned. “We’re deeply grateful for the broad bipartisan help we have acquired for President Trump to wield the formidable power of the USA — as he has finished so successfully in securing the discharge of over 90 hostages in Gaza, Venezuela, and world wide — to deliver our brother house.”
“Our household is grateful and comforted that the president has personally dedicated to addressing this matter and taking a robust place on it, and we sit up for seeing Dennis once more quickly,” Lengthy mentioned.
Two Taliban officers insist Coyle is in good well being and his “rights as a prisoner are protected.” Additionally they declare formal courtroom proceedings in his case would start “quickly.”
The White Home didn’t instantly reply to a request for remark. In an interview during which Coyle’s case was raised final week, President Trump mentioned he would “take a really sturdy place on it,” with out elaborating additional.
Photograph offered by Dennis Coyle’s household 
Final June, the U.S. authorities formally designated Coyle as wrongfully detained below the Robert Levinson Hostage Restoration and Hostage-Taking Accountability Act, a standing that unlocks choose authorities instruments and elevates the precedence of efforts to safe his launch.
“The Taliban ought to instantly launch Dennis Coyle and all Individuals detained in Afghanistan and finish its apply of hostage diplomacy,” the State Division informed CBS Information in an announcement. “We remind all Individuals — don’t journey to Afghanistan. The Taliban has detained Individuals for years and the U.S. Authorities can’t assure your security.”
The US doesn’t acknowledge the Taliban as Afghanistan’s reputable authorities and lacks a diplomatic presence within the nation, complicating launch negotiations which can be usually carried out by Qatar as an middleman on behalf of the U.S.
A Qatari official declined to touch upon any involvement in mediating Coyle’s case.
Acknowledging Coyle’s detention, Taliban chief spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid informed CBS Information, “Negotiations have certainly taken place and are ongoing; nevertheless, each side haven’t but reached a ultimate conclusion.”
“The Afghan authorities stays dedicated to what has been mentioned with the USA. It also needs to be famous that Afghans have been wrongly detained by the USA and proceed to be held there. Their destiny, in addition to the struggling of their households, is just like that skilled by others in detention.”
“These talks ought to result in concrete outcomes and a ultimate conclusion, guaranteeing that prisoners from each side are launched,” Mujahid mentioned.
The Biden administration held negotiations with the Taliban to swap Individuals detained in Afghanistan for Muhammad Rahim al Afghani, a Guantanamo Bay detainee alleged to have been an affiliate of Osama bin Laden, however the talks in the end fell by. U.S. officers proposed releasing Rahim in trade for George Glezmann, Ryan Corbett and Afghan-American Mahmoud Habibi, who was kidnapped in 2022, whereas the Taliban countered by searching for Rahim and two others whereas denying it held Habibi.
With the assistance of Qatari negotiators, Corbett and one other American, William McKenty, have been launched final January in trade for a Taliban determine who had been imprisoned for all times on drug trafficking costs. Glezmann and one other American, Faye Corridor, have been launched in March, adopted by a fifth American, Amir Amiri, who was freed final September.
One other senior Taliban official who spoke with CBS Information on situation of anonymity referred to Rahim and claimed the U.S. supplied a timeframe of three to 6 months for releasing Rahim. “Once we launched U.S. residents final time, the U.S. dedicated to releasing the final Afghan detainee from Guantanamo. We’ve got already made many concessions. That’s sufficient.”
Along with Coyle, at the least one different American — a former U.S. military soldier whose function for touring to Afghanistan is unclear — is believed to be presently held by the Taliban.
The State Division has supplied a $5 million reward for info resulting in Habibi’s return.
“We’re not conscious of Habibi’s present standing and we [have] not arrested him,” the second senior Taliban official informed CBS Information.
Through the first Trump administration, the U.S. took steps to normalize relations with the Taliban, together with troop withdrawal agreements and elevated diplomatic contacts. Final September, President Trump expressed curiosity in regaining entry to Bagram Air Base, underscoring a want to take care of strategic leverage in Afghanistan, whereas Taliban officers have signaled curiosity in deeper engagement with the U.S.
That engagement has stalled to an extent because the U.S. has applied sweeping restrictions that embrace suspending visa issuance and entry for Afghan nationals below latest nationwide safety proclamations, tightening vetting, and pausing processing of just about all Afghan immigration and asylum purposes. The strikes have considerably decreased authorized pathways for Afghans searching for entry or resettlement within the U.S.
The home coverage debate intensified following a November 2025 taking pictures in Washington, D.C., during which an Afghan nationwide evacuated to the U.S. after the 2021 withdrawal from Afghanistan allegedly killed a Nationwide Guardsman and wounded one other. The suspect, Rahmanullah Lakanwal, beforehand served for a number of years in Afghanistan’s elite “Zero Items,” paramilitary forces that operated below CIA path.
Nonetheless, the Taliban and the USA stay in touch, Taliban sources mentioned, noting former U.S. Ambassador Zalmay Khalilzad visited Kabul earlier this month. White Home counterterrorism advisor Seb Gorka and particular envoy for hostage response Adam Boehler traveled to Afghanistan to dealer Amiri’s launch in September.
“We’re very clear that we are going to not provide any additional goodwill gestures,” one of many senior Taliban officers informed CBS Information.
Final September, the Trump administration created the State Sponsor of Wrongful Detention designation to focus on international locations or teams that maintain Individuals with out authorized justification. Modeled after the state sponsors of terrorism designation, the measure would give the State Division authority to impose sanctions, export controls and journey restrictions on nationals of designated international locations that detain Individuals for political leverage, and to limit the place U.S. passports could also be used. To this point, no international locations have been designated.
Coyle’s household has launched FreeDennisCoyle.com to coordinate advocacy and share updates.
