Afghanistan Taliban frees detained US citizen Amir Amiri after Qatari mediation and envoy’s Kabul visit

Afghanistan’s ruling Taliban has released another US citizen from custody after a visit by US hostage envoy Adam Boehler, the United States government says.

Amir Amiri, who had been detained in Afghanistan since December 2024, was released through Qatari mediation and was on his way to Doha on Sunday evening, an official source told Reuters, asking not to be identified by name or nationality.

Afghanistan’s foreign ministry said in a statement the government does not view the issue of detained citizens from a political angle and emphasised that diplomatic solutions are possible.

Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi said that the release of Amiri was a positive step in relations between the Taliban government and the United States.

Mr Boehler’s visit came a week after US President Donald Trump urged the Taliban to give back control of Bagram air base to the United States, threatening “bad things” would happen to Afghanistan if it does not.

Amiri was the fifth US citizen freed by the Taliban this year thanks to Qatari mediation, including earlier in September a British couple held for eight months, the source said.

“I want to thank Qatar for helping secure his freedom,” US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said on X, confirming the release.

“POTUS (the president) has made it clear we will not stop until every American unjustly detained abroad is back home.”

Details about Amiri, including the reason for his detention, were not disclosed.

The Bagram base targeted by Trump was used by US forces after the September 11, 2001 attacks on the United States.

It was among bases the Islamist Taliban movement took over after the withdrawal of foreign forces in 2021 and toppling of the US-backed government in Kabul.

with DPA