Washington (AFP) – An American woman has been freed by the Taliban in Afghanistan after she, two Britons, and their Afghan translator were detained earlier this year, Washington’s former envoy to Kabul, 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, who has been part of a US delegation working on Taliban hostage releases, wrote on X. While at the Qatari embassy in Kabul, Hall “has been confirmed in good health after undergoing a series of medical checks,” said a source with knowledge of the release. She was released on Thursday following a court order and with logistical support from Qatar, the source added.
Hall, who has been identified by the Taliban’s interior ministry as Chinese-American, was detained in February along with Peter and Barbie Reynolds, who are in their 70s, as they traveled to the British couple’s home in central Bamiyan province. Their Afghan translator was additionally arrested. Taliban officials have refused to detail the reasons for their arrest, but one report said Hall had been detained on charges of using a drone without authorization.
In his announcement, Khalilzad posted a picture of Hall smiling with Qatar representatives ahead of her departure from Afghanistan.
– Hopes for ‘new chapter’ –
Khalilzad had been in the Afghan capital earlier this month on a rare visit by US officials to meet Taliban authorities, accompanying US hostage envoy Adam Boehler. Following their visit, the Taliban government announced the release of US citizen George Glezmann after more than two years of detention, in a deal brokered by Qatar. He and Hall are among several Americans to be released from Taliban custody this year.
In January, two Americans detained in Afghanistan — Ryan Corbett and William McKenty — were freed in exchange for an Afghan fighter, Khan Mohammed, who was convicted of narco-terrorism in the United States. At least one other US citizen, Mahmood Habibi, is still held in Afghanistan.
The British couple detained with Hall remain in Taliban custody. Their daughter has expressed grave fears for her father’s health and appealed to the Taliban authorities to free them. The Reynolds, who married in Kabul in 1970, have run school training programmes in the country for 18 years. They remained in Afghanistan after the Taliban takeover in 2021 when the British embassy withdrew its staff.
The government in Kabul is not recognized by any country, but several, including Russia, China, and Turkey, have kept their embassies open in the Afghan capital. Qatar, too, has maintained diplomatic channels with the Taliban and has facilitated negotiations for the release of US hostages. Since US President Donald Trump’s reelection, the Kabul government has expressed hopes for a “new chapter” with Washington.
© 2024 AFP
