Taliban authorities in Kabul released American linguistic researcher Dennis Coyle on March 24, 2026, after he spent more than a year in detention.The 64-year-old academic from Colorado was arrested in January 2025 by the General Directorate of Intelligence on unspecified charges.His release was secured following mediation by Qatar and the United Arab Emirates along with direct appeals from his family to the leadership.The Afghan Foreign Ministry stated that the Supreme Court authorized a pardon for Coyle on humanitarian grounds for the Eid al-Fitr holiday.Secretary of State Marco