Taliban, U.S. envoys discuss release of 2 American prisoners at third Doha meeting

The Taliban’s delegation to the third United Nations-led Doha meeting on increasing engagement with Afghanistan met with U.S. envoys on the sidelines and discussed the two Americans imprisoned in the central Asian country.

The Taliban's delegation to the third United Nations-led Doha meeting on increasing engagement with Afghanistan met with U.S. envoys on the sidelines and discussed the two Americans imprisoned in the central Asian country.

Zabihullah Mujahid told reporters in Kabul on July 3 that the meeting aimed at “finding a solution.”

He said: “During our meetings, we talked about the two American citizens who are in prison in Afghanistan,” adding “but they must accept Afghanistan’s conditions. We also have prisoners in America, prisoners in Guantanamo. We should free our prisoners in exchange for them.”

Special Representative Thomas West and Special Envoy Rina Amiri met directly with the Taliban, according to State Department spokesman Vedant Patel. Mr. West pressed for “the immediate and unconditional release of U.S. citizens unjustly detained in Afghanistan,” Mr. Patel said on July 2.

When prodded if there was any headway on the matter, Mr. Patel said the issue “was just raised.”

One of the two Americans believed to be held by the Taliban for nearly two years is Ryan Corbett who was abducted August 10, 2022, after returning to Afghanistan, where he and his family had been living at the time of the collapse of the U.S.-backed government there a year earlier.

He arrived on a valid 12-month visa to pay and train staff as part of a business venture he led aimed at promoting Afghanistan’s private sector through consulting services and lending. Mr. 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.