Family of American man believed to be held by Taliban asks the UN torture investigator for help

Lawyers for Ryan Corbett, a New York man believed to be detained by the Taliban in Afghanistan for almost 2 years, are asking for help from a UN human rights investigator.

Corbett has since been shuttled between multiple prisons, though his lawyers say he has not been seen since last December by anyone other than the people with whom he was detained.

In a petition sent Thursday, lawyers for Corbett say that he's been threatened with physical violence and torture and has been malnourished and deprived of medical care. He's been held in solitary confinement, including in a basement cell with almost no sunlight and exercise, and his physical and mental health have significantly deteriorated, the lawyers say.