Taliban releases American detained in Afghanistan
An American woman who has been held by the Taliban in Afghanistan has been freed, former U.S. Ambassador to Afghanistan and Iraq Zalmay Khalilzad said Saturday.
'American citizen Faye Hall, just released by the Taliban, is now in the care of our friends, the Qataris in Kabul, and will soon be on her way home,' Khalilzad said in a post on X.
His post featured a photo of Hall smiling and sitting between two men. It was not clear who the two men are.
A Taliban spokesperson confirmed to NBC News that a female U.S. citizen was freed this week. The spokesperson said she was handed over to a group who negotiated her release with the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan.
Khalilzad did not give further details on the circumstances of Hall's release. The U.S. State Department did not immediately reply to NBC News' request for confirmation.
Hall had been detained in Afghanistan since February on charges of using a drone without authorization, The Associated Press reported.
President Donald Trump shared a video of Hall on his Truth Social account Saturday afternoon.
In the video, Hall said she voted for Trump twice and that she is so happy he is in office, calling this 'the new era.'
'Thank you for bringing me home, and I've never been so proud to be an American citizen,' Hall said in the video posted by Trump.
Earlier this month, American George Glezmann, who had been held by the Taliban for two years, was released in a separate deal brokered by Qatar.
Officials from the Trump administration had been engaged with Taliban representatives to secure Glezmann's release.
'The Taliban government agreed to free him as a goodwill gesture to @POTUS and the American people,' Khalilzad said of Glezmann in a March 20 post on X.
He was not part of a prisoner exchange.
Glezmann was in the country in December 2022 on a five-day trip to 'explore the cultural landscape and rich history of the country,' according to a bill filed in the Senate calling for his release.
He was arrested by the Taliban and held without charge. Taliban officials in the intelligence department told NBC News they believed he was a spy.
Afghanistan's Foreign Affairs Ministry also said the move was a 'goodwill gesture' in a post on X at the time. In a statement, the Taliban said the meeting between the U.S. and Afghan officials was a 'significant step in rebuilding diplomatic engagement.'
The Taliban has been in control of Afghanistan, one of the poorest countries in the world, since August 2021, when it ousted U.S.-backed President Ashraf Ghani shortly after the chaotic withdrawal of U.S. troops from the country.
'Continued discussions could pave the way for broader political and economic cooperation between the two countries,' the Taliban statement from earlier this month added.
The group has been eager to re-engage with foreign entities.
Two other Americans, Ryan Corbett and William McKenty, were released from Afghanistan this year in a deal struck during the final days of the Biden administration in exchange for a member of the Taliban being held in U.S. custody.
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