Afghan Taliban government says American national Dennis Coyle has been released
SOLEDAD: WELCOME BACK TO “MAERTT OF FACT.” THIS MOMENT IN AFGHAN HISTORY MAY BE RECORDED AS THE TIME WHEN DREA DMSIED FOR AN ENTIRE GENERATION OF WOMEN AND GIRLS. 20 YRSEA AGO, AN EXTREME VERSION OF SHARIA LAW WAS IMPOSED IN AFGHANISTAN. MEWON COULD NOT WO.RK GIRLS WERE BANNED FROM SCHOOLS. WHEN THEY LEFT THEIR HOMES, WOMEN HAD TO BE ACCOMPANIED BY A MALE FAMILY MEMBER AND HAD TO COVER THEIR FACES IN PUBLIC. DESPITE TALIBAN PROMISES THAT WOMEN’S RIGHTS WILL BE OBSERVED WITHIN THE CONSTRUCT OF ISLAMIC LAW, REPORTS ARE EMERGING OF THE TALIBAN GOING DOOR-TO-DOOR , THREATENING WOMEN AND THEIR SAFETY, AND REINSTATING REPRESSIVE POLICIES. THE SITUATION IS DESCRIBED BAY WOMAN INSIDE AFGHANISTAN WHOSE IDENTITY WE ARWIE THHOLDING RFO SECURITY REASONS. >> WE LOST OUR IDENTITY IN THE ACHIEVEMENT THAT WE SUCEDCE IN THE LAST 20 YEARS AND MORE. WE HAVE BEEN COUNTED AS A ZERO NOW. IN THE LT AS48 HOURS, THERE IS NO WORLD FOR US OUTSIDE OF OUR HOUSES, AND NO HOPE. SINCE YESTERDAY, THEY’RE SEARCHGIN DOOR-TO-DOOR FOR EMPLOYEES WHO WORK IN THE GOVERNME ANTND NGOS. THE DEADLY SILENCE OF THE CITY BREAKS WITH THE SOUND OF SHOTGUNS AND AMBULANCES. AT THE END, I CAN SAY THE CHANCE OF OUR SURVIVAL GETTING NEAR TO ZERO. SOLEDAD: ZAINAB SALBI IS AN IRAQI-AMERICAN WOMEN’S RIGHTS ACVISTTI. SHE IS THE FOUNDER OF “WOMEN FOR WOMEN INTERNATIONAL, A GLOBAL EFFORT TO SUPPORT WOMEN SURVIVORS OF WAR AND CONFLICT. ZAINAB SALBI, THANK YOU RFO TALKING WITH ME. THE SITUATION RIGHT NOW IS UNFOLDING, DETERIORATING RAPIDLY, AND I KNOW THAT BY THE TIME THIS INTERVIEW AIRS, THINGS LLWI HAVE CHANGED. MAY BE SIGNIFICANTLY. I WOULD LIKE TO START WITH WHAT YOU’RE HEARING THIS MOMENT OMFR THE WOMEN THAT YOU WORK WITH ON THE GROUND IN AFGHANISTAN. ZAINAB: HERE’S WHATHE TY ARE NARRATING, IS THAT THE TALIBAN HAVE BEEN TARGETING AND ASSASSINATING WOMEN IN THE LAST YEAR, ACTUALLY IN DIFFERENT PROVINS.CE THESE ARE MEWON WHO ARE WELL-KNOWN, WHETHER THEY ARE WOMEN’S RIGHTS ACTIVISTS, EDUCATORS, PUBLIC JOURNALISTS, ANYTHING LIKE THAT. AND RIGHT NOW WHAT THEY ARE DOING IS KNOCKING DOOR-TO-DOOR, TRYING TO FIND OUT WHO WORKED WITH THE WESTERN NGO, WHO WORKED WITH A WESTERN GOVERNMENT, WHO WAS A WOMEN’S RIGHTS ADVOCATE. SO THERE IS FEAR, CRUSHING OF DREAMS AND SERIOUS, SERIOUS WORRIES ABOUT THEIR SAFETY. SOLEDAD: CAN YOU TALK MORE SPECIFICALLY TO SET UP FOR PEOPLE SO THEY CAN UNDERSTAND WHAT STANDS TO BE LOST, ESPECIALLY WHEN IT COMES TO HUMAN RIGHTS AND WHEN IT COMES TO OPPORTUNITIES FOR WOMEN IN AFGHANISTAN? ZAINAB: SO MUCH WAS GAINED OVER THE LAST YEA.RS AND THAT IS — OPEN EDUCATION TO ALL WOMEN. THAT GOES BEYOND ISLAMIC STUDIES. NOW WE HAVE SCHOS.OL WE HAVUNE IVERSITIES FOR WOMEN. WE HAVE WOMEN WORKING IN ALL SECTORS. NONE OF THAT WAS ALLOWED. AND THE FEAR RIGHT NOW IS ATTH IS GOING TO JUST ALL BE DELETED. SOLEDAD: YOU HAVE CALLED OTHN BIDEN ADMINISTRATION, THROUGH A LETTER, TO HELP THESE WOMEN. LIST FOR ME, THE KIND OF HELP YOU WANT FROM THE DEBIN ADMINISTRATION. ZAINAB: SO THEY ARE ABOUT EIGHT THOUSAND WOMEN WHO HAVE BEEN IDENTIFIED,ND A THEIR FAMILIES, WHO HAVE BEEN IDENTIFIED THAT THEY ARE IN IMMINENT DANGER AND WE NEED TO GET THEM OUT. KEEPING THE TROOPS IN THEY IN THE AIRPORT THERE UNTIL WE EVACUATE EVERY SINGLE WOMAN AND THEIR FAMILY WHO ARE IN DANG.ER SECOND, IS EXTENSIVE OR URGENT VISAS FOR THEM SO THEY CAN CEOM TO THE U.S. ON A HUMANITARIAN PAROLE AND THEN WE CAN SECURE THEM SAFY.ET AND THE THIRD THING WOULD BE TO MAKE SURE THAT THEY HAVE FINANCIAL SUPPORT WHILE THEY ARRIVE IN THE U.S, AT LEAST FOR SIX MONTHS UNTIL THEY STAND ON THEIR FEET. AND THE LAST, BUT NOT ASLE U.S. STILL HAS TO LEVERAGE DIPLOMACY AND DEVELOPMENT MONEY. AND WE’RE URGING THE BIDEN ADMINISTRATION TO USE THIS TO LEVERA UGES TO MAKE SURE THAT MONEY KEEPS ON GOING TO WOMEN’S RIGHTS ORGANIZATIONS AND KEEP ON FUNNELING MONEY FOR WOMEN’S EDUCATION AND WORK AND RIGHTS FOR WOMEN IN AFGHANIST.AN SOLEDAD: CAN DIPLOMACY AND FRANKLY, COLD, HARD CASH JTUS MONEY, BE EFFECTIVE LEVERS AGAINST E THTALIBAN, DO YOU THINK? ZAINAB: THE ONLY LEVERAGE THAT WE HAVE IS THAT THE TALIBAN ARE GOINTOG LOOK FOR WESTERN APPROVAL. AND SO, YES, THERE IS SOME LEVEGERA TO USE IT. SO I HOPE THAT WE USE IT AND NOT LET IT GO. SOLEDAD: WHAT IS YOUR BIGGEST WORRY AT THIS MOMENT? ZAINAB: I’M WORRIED ABOUT AFANGH WOMEN, OF COURSE, AND THEIR SECURITY. AND THR EILIVES, BECAUSE THERE ARE SO MANY PEOPLE I ACTUALLY KNOW PERSONALLY AND THEY ARE SCARED, AND IT IS BREAKING MY HEART. I’M WORRIED ABOUT NATIONAL SECURITY ALL OVER THE COUNTRY, THE REGIONAL COUNTRIES. THIS IS THE REEMERGENCE OF A VERY RELIGIOUS FUNDAMENTALIST GOVERNMENT. I DO NOT SEE ANY GOOD IN THAT. AND I’M WORRIE MD,TOS IMPORTANTLY, HONESTLY, ABOUT THE VALUES, AMERICAN VALUES OF FREEDOM AND WOMEN’S RIGHTS AND DEMOCRACY THAT WE BELIEVED AND WE SOLD THE WORLD ON AND WE FOUGHT FOR TT. THESE VALUES ARE BNGEI QUESTIONED RIGHT NOW. QUESTIONED BY THE WORLD AND QUESTIONED BY AFGHANS. AND THEY’RE SAYING, WHERE ARE THESE VALUES, WHEN OUR RIGHTS RIGHT NOW ARE AT STAKE? SOLE
Afghan Taliban government says American national Dennis Coyle has been released
Afghanistan’s Taliban government said on Tuesday that authorities have released American academic Dennis Coyle, held in Afghanistan since January 2025.Related video above: What Happens to Afghanistan’s Women After the Taliban Takeover?A statement from the country’s foreign ministry said the academic researcher had been released in Kabul, the country’s capital, on the occasion of Eid al-Fitr, the holiday following Ramadan, the Muslim holy month of fasting.It said the release followed an appeal from his family and after the country’s Supreme Court “considered his previous imprisonment sufficient.”Coyle was detained in January 2025 on allegations of violating laws, although Afghan authorities never publicly stated what laws he was accused of having violated.
Afghanistan’s Taliban government said on Tuesday that authorities have released American academic Dennis Coyle, held in Afghanistan since January 2025.
Related video above: What Happens to Afghanistan’s Women After the Taliban Takeover?
A statement from the country’s foreign ministry said the academic researcher had been released in Kabul, the country’s capital, on the occasion of Eid al-Fitr, the holiday following Ramadan, the Muslim holy month of fasting.
It said the release followed an appeal from his family and after the country’s Supreme Court “considered his previous imprisonment sufficient.”
Coyle was detained in January 2025 on allegations of violating laws, although Afghan authorities never publicly stated what laws he was accused of having violated.
