Amir Amiry: American Citizen Released by Taliban After Nine-Month Detention

Fri Oct 03 2025 03:49:43 GMT+0300 (Eastern European Summer Time)

Amir Amiry, a U.S. citizen detained by the Taliban for nine months, has been released due to Qatari mediation, highlighting ongoing U.S. efforts to secure the freedom of its citizens abroad.

U.S. citizen Amir Amiry has been released from Taliban custody after being detained for nine months. His release follows negotiations facilitated by Qatar, marking it as a significant diplomatic success amid ongoing efforts to free other detained Americans in Afghanistan. U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio acknowledged Qatar's role in the negotiations while highlighting that several citizens remain unjustly held.

A US citizen held by the Taliban in Afghanistan for nine months has been released following negotiations led by Qatari mediators, officials say.

The man, identified as Amir Amiry, is the fifth American to be freed from detention in Afghanistan this year. He was on his way back to the US on Sunday.

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio thanked Qatar for its tireless diplomatic efforts, which he said were crucial in securing Mr. Amiry's release.

The reason for Mr. Amiry's detention remains unclear. Rubio stated that he had been wrongfully detained.

The secretary of state added that more US citizens remain unjustly detained in Afghanistan and that the Trump administration was working on securing their release.

Qatar's foreign ministry said it had facilitated the release of Mr. Amiry and confirmed that he was on his way to Doha before traveling to the US.

Negotiations began in March, with Qatar first arranging a meeting between Mr. Amiry and US hostage envoy Adam Boehler, sources told CBS news, the BBC's US partner.

Breakthrough negotiations led to Mr. Amiry's release this past weekend.

This release follows other recent cases, including two American citizens freed in a prisoner swap between the US and Taliban in January. One of those individuals, Ryan Corbett, was abducted while on a work trip in 2022.

The US released Khan Mohammad, a Taliban figure serving a life sentence in California for drug trafficking and terrorism charges, in exchange, the Associated Press reported. Two other Americans were released later in March, including George Glezmann, who was taken during a tourist visit to Afghanistan in 2022.

This month, a British couple, Peter and Barbie Reynolds, was released through Qatari mediation after having lived in Afghanistan for nearly two decades.

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