Washington (AFP) – An American woman freed by the Taliban in Afghanistan celebrated her release in a video shared Saturday by US President Donald Trump, in which she thanked him for helping secure her freedom. In a video shared on Trump’s Truth Social account, Faye Hall is seen smiling and in apparently good health, saying: “Thank you for bringing me home.”
Hall, a British couple, and their Afghan translator were detained on February 1 as they traveled to central Bamiyan province. Washington’s former envoy to Kabul, Zalmay Khalilzad, said Hall was in the care of the Qatari delegation in Kabul. “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, Hall “has been confirmed in good health after undergoing a series of medical checks,” according to 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. In the video promoted by Trump’s account, Hall said she was proud to be a US citizen and urged support for Afghan women held in Taliban jails. “Thank you, Mr. President,” she said.
“And I just want you to know, all the women in the Afghan jail, they always ask me, ‘When is Trump coming?’ You, truly, they just treat you like their savior. They’re waiting for you to come and set them free.” In the post accompanying the video, Trump said: “Thank you Faye — So honored with your words!”
Hall, identified by the Taliban’s interior ministry as Chinese-American, was detained along with Peter and Barbie Reynolds, who are in their 70s, as they travelled to the British couple’s home in central Bamiyan province. Their Afghan translator was also 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.
– 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 programs 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 Trump’s reelection, the Kabul government has expressed hopes for a “new chapter” with Washington.
© 2024 AFP
