Taliban confirm 2 Americans among several foreign nationals in detention in Afghanistan

By Anadolu staff

The interim Taliban government in Afghanistan confirmed on Sunday that several foreign nationals, including two US citizens, have been detained for "violation" of the country's laws, local media reported.

Interim Afghan government spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid told local broadcaster TOLO news that "some foreign citizens are detained in Afghanistan, including two Americans, due to violations of Afghan laws."

A decision on the detainees' cases will be made once the investigation is completed, he added.

Mujahid assured that the detainees would be released if they were proven innocent, but he did not provide specific charges or detainee numbers.

Earlier this week, CNN identified one of the detainees as Ryan Corbett, who the Taliban have detained since Aug. 2022.

He was able to call his wife Anna Corbett earlier this week.

Ryan and Anna Corbett and their three children, according to CNN, had lived in Afghanistan for more than a decade before the collapse of the Afghan government, as non-governmental organization workers.

Following the Taliban takeover, the family was evacuated in August 2021. Ryan Corbett returned twice in 2022, but the Taliban detained him on his second trip.

State Department spokesman Matthew Miller said Thursday that the Biden administration is working "every day" to bring Ryan Corbett home.

He said Washington has made clear to the Taliban that these detentions are a "significant obstacle to positive engagement and we will continue to do that."

"We are using every lever we can to try to bring Ryan and these other wrongfully detained Americans home from Afghanistan,” he said.