Secretary of state Marco Rubio welcomes release as ‘important step forward’ as Taliban seek to normalise relations with US
Secretary of state Marco Rubio welcomes release as ‘important step forward’ as Taliban seek to normalise relations with US
The Taliban on Sunday freed a US citizen from an Afghan prison, weeks after they said they had reached an agreement with US envoys on a prisoner exchange as part of an effort to normalise relations.
US secretary of state Marco Rubio welcomed the release of Amir Amiry, saying it marked the administration’s determination, reinforced by Donald Trump’s recent executive order, to protect American nationals from wrongful detention abroad.
“While this marks an important step forward, additional Americans remain unjustly detained in Afghanistan. President Trump will not rest until all our captive citizens are back home.”
An official with knowledge of the release said Amiry had been detained in Afghanistan since December 2024 and was on his way back to the US.
