- Afghan fighter Khan Mohammad returns to Afghanistan.
- He was serving a life sentence in the state of California.
- Taliban authorities detain dozens of foreigners.
The Taliban government said on Tuesday it had freed American citizens from prison in exchange for an Afghan fighter detained in the United States, in a deal brokered by Qatar.
Talks about a prisoner swap were confirmed last year, but the swap was announced after outgoing US President Joe Biden handed power to Donald Trump, who took office on Monday.
“An Afghan fighter, Khan Mohammad, imprisoned in the United States, has been released in exchange for American citizens and returned to the country,” the Afghan Foreign Ministry said in a statement.
The ministry said Mohammad had been serving a life sentence in the state of California after being arrested “almost two decades ago” in Nangarhar province in eastern Afghanistan.
Asked about AFPThe Foreign Office declined to provide further details on the number of American prisoners.
However, Ryan Corbett’s family expressed their “overwhelming gratitude” for his return home.
“Today, our hearts are filled with overwhelming gratitude and praise to God for sustaining Ryan’s life and bringing him home after what has been the most challenging and uncertain 894 days of our lives,” the family said on their site. web.
In July last year, Taliban government spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid said two American prisoners were being held in Afghanistan and that an exchange with the United States had been discussed.
American media identified the Americans as William McKenty and Corbett, the latter in Taliban custody since 2022.
Biden came under heavy criticism for the chaotic withdrawal of US forces from Afghanistan in 2021, more than a year after Trump presided over an agreement with Taliban insurgents to end US and NATO involvement in the war. two decades.
‘New chapter’
After Trump’s election victory in November, the Taliban government had said it looked forward to a “new chapter” in relations with the United States.
Taliban authorities have repeatedly said they want positive relations with all countries since returning to power in 2021.
No state has officially recognized its government, and restrictions on women’s rights are a key point for many countries, including the United States.
The Taliban government on Tuesday called the exchange “a good example of problem-solving through dialogue, expressing special gratitude for the effective role of the brotherly country of Qatar in this regard.”
“The Islamic Emirate positively values those actions of the United States that contribute to the normalization and expansion of relations between the two countries,” he added, using the name of the Taliban authorities for his government.
Taliban authorities have detained dozens of foreigners since the group’s return to power.
It is unclear how many Afghan citizens are in US custody.
At least one Afghan prisoner remains detained at the secret US prison at Guantanamo Bay in Cuba, Muhammad Rahim, whose family has called for his release in November 2023.
In February of last year, two former prisoners held at Guantanamo Bay until 2017 were welcomed back to Afghanistan, more than 20 years after their arrest.
