American Citizen Freed from Taliban Captivity After Diplomatic Efforts

An American citizen who has been held by the Taliban in Afghanistan since December 2024 has finally been released, the U.S. State Department said on Sunday.

The 36-year-old Amir Amiri was released after months of negotiations involving mediators from Qatar and the United States and is now on his way home to the United States, the State Department and a source close to the matter confirmed.

The State Department thanked Qatar for its involvement, calling the cooperation “a strong partnership and tireless diplomatic efforts” that were crucial to the release.

Context of the release and reaction from official authorities

Strong partnership and tireless diplomatic efforts were decisive in securing his release.

“President Trump will not stop until all our detained citizens return home,” he added. “Today’s release is a significant step by the administration in Kabul toward achieving that goal.”

President Trump will not stop until all our detained citizens return home. Today’s release is a significant step by the administration in Kabul toward achieving this goal.

Amiri is one of the last American citizens who have been able to be released thanks to the coordinated work of the United States and its partners in the region, including Qatar. The United States does not have a diplomatic presence in Afghanistan since the Taliban took control in August 2021.

Details about why Amiri was in Afghanistan or how long he had been detained are not available at this time. The State Department declined to comment further.

Hamdullah Fitrat, deputy spokesman for the Taliban, said that American special envoy for hostage affairs Adam Boehler met with Afghanistan’s Foreign Minister Maulvi Amir Khan Muttaqi on Sunday. According to Muttaqi, Amiri’s release demonstrates that the Afghan government does not view the issue of foreign nationals politically, and that diplomacy provides opportunities to resolve such cases, Fitrat noted.

This article was prepared by Masood Popalzai.