Welcoming the release of US citizen Dennis Coyle from Taliban custody, the family of Mahmood Habibi renewed calls for his immediate release, urging the Taliban to acknowledge his detention and allow him to return home.
In a statement issued by the nonprofit Global Reach, which is working with the family, relatives of Mahmood Habibi said they remain hopeful he will also be released. Habibi, an American citizen, has been missing since August 2022, when his family says he was detained by the Taliban.
“My family and I are grateful to hear the news of Dennis’ release,” said Ahmad Habibi, his brother. “We hope that our family will soon have the same feeling of relief when Mahmood is returned home.”
Global Reach said it has been assisting the Habibi family since shortly after his disappearance.
The Taliban have previously denied holding Habibi, but his family says the US government has evidence that he was detained by the group’s intelligence agency.
Coyle’s release followed contacts involving Taliban officials, US figures and regional intermediaries, according to statements from the Taliban’s Foreign Ministry.
Eric Lebson, a former US National Security Council official and now chief strategy officer at Global Reach, said Coyle’s release should be followed by further steps.
“The release of Dennis Coyle is a move in the right direction, but it needs to be followed by the release of Mahmood Habibi and any other Americans being held,” Lebson said.
The case remains a point of tension between Washington and the Taliban.
US officials, including senior White House counterterrorism official Sebastian Gorka, have said the Taliban have been engaged in “hostage diplomacy” and have warned of consequences if Americans are not released.
The Trump administration has designated Afghanistan as a “state sponsor of wrongful detention,” a move officials say is intended to increase pressure on the Taliban.
Habibi’s family urged the Taliban to acknowledge his detention and facilitate his return.
“The Taliban need to admit what we already know — that they have my brother — so we can move forward in bringing him home,” Ahmad Habibi said.
