Afghan govt frees US citizen

KABUL, Sept 29 (AFP): Afghanistan's Taliban government released an American citizen from detention on Sunday, a week after freeing an elderly British couple.

In a statement the ministry identified the detainee as Amir Amiri and said he had been handed over to Adam Boehler, Washington's special envoy on hostages.

Boehler made a rare visit to Kabul earlier this month to discuss the possibility of a prisoner exchange with the Taliban government.

"The Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan released an American citizen named Amir Amiri from prison today," the Foreign Ministry on X, using the official name for government.

"The Afghan government does not view the issues of citizens from a political angle and makes it clear that ways can be found to resolve issues through diplomacy."

Little is known about Amiri's case, as it has not been widely reported.

An official with knowledge of the release said Amiri, who is 36, "had been detained in Afghanistan since December 2024".

The official added that Amiri would stop briefly in Doha, Qatar for medical checks before continuing back to the United States.