A US citizen held by the Taliban in Afghanistan for 9 months has been launched following negotiations led by Qatari mediators, officers say.
The person, recognized as Amir Amiry, is the fifth American to be free of detention in Afghanistan this 12 months. He was on his means again to the US on Sunday.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio thanked Qatar for its “tireless diplomatic efforts”, which he stated have been essential in securing Mr Amiry’s launch.
The rationale for Mr Amiry’s detention stays unclear. Rubio stated that he had been “wrongfully detained”.
The secretary of state added that extra US residents stay “unjustly detained” in Afghanistan and that the Trump administration was engaged on securing their launch.
Qatar’s international ministry stated it had facilitated the discharge of Mr Amiry and that he was on his solution to Doha earlier than travelling to the US.
Qatar started negotiating Mr Amiry’s launch in March – first arranging a gathering between Mr Amiry and US hostage envoy Adam Boehler, sources informed CBS information, the BBC’s US companion.
A breakthrough in negotiations was reached this weekend, sources informed CBS, which led to Mr Amiry’s launch.
It comes after two Americans have been freed in a prisoner swap between the US and the Taliban in January. One of many detainees, Ryan Corbett, was kidnapped in 2022 whereas on a piece journey.
The US launched Khan Mohammad, a Taliban determine who was imprisoned for all times in California on drug trafficking and terrorism fees, in alternate, the Related Press reported.
Two different Individuals have been launched later in March. Amongst them was George Glezmann, who was detained throughout a vacationer go to to Afghanistan in 2022.
A British couple, Peter and Barbie Reynolds, were released earlier this month, additionally by way of Qatari mediation. They’d lived in Afghanistan for practically twenty years.
