WASHINGTON — Zalmay Khalilzad, the former U.S. special envoy for Afghanistan, said Taliban are expected to “shortly” release American citizen Faye Dai Hall.
In a post on X, Khalilzad stated that Hall was in the custody of the Taliban, but offered no additional details regarding her detention or the circumstances surrounding her expected release.
“According to the Afghan Foreign Ministry, an American, Faye Dai Hall, who was in custody, will be freed shortly,” Khalilzad wrote.
The announcement comes just over a week after the Taliban released George Glezmann, another American who had been detained in Kabul for two years. Khalilzad previously described Glezmann’s release as a “goodwill gesture” toward President Trump and the American people.
However, shortly after Glezmann’s release, Taliban leader Hibatullah Akhundzada indicated that the release of additional American detainees may be contingent on a prisoner exchange.
In an audio recording obtained by Amu and attributed to Akhundzada, the reclusive Taliban supreme leader is heard stating: “An Afghan is imprisoned in Guantánamo. Two Americans are imprisoned here. They ask us to release them safely. We say: release our prisoner safely too — why won’t you?”
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio expressed gratitude to Qatar for its role in securing Glezmann’s release, though Washington has not commented publicly on the case of Hall.
Neither the U.S. State Department nor the Taliban have confirmed when Hall might be released or provided further information about her condition.
