Afghanistan's Taliban government announced Tuesday the release of American academic Dennis Coyle, who had been detained in the country since January 2025. The foreign ministry said Coyle was freed in Kabul on the occasion of Eid al-Fitr, the holiday following the Muslim holy month of Ramadan.

According to the Taliban's statement, the release followed an appeal from Coyle's family and came after the country's Supreme Court "considered his previous imprisonment sufficient." The foreign ministry indicated that Coyle "would be pardoned and released" for the Eid holiday.

Coyle, described as an academic researcher, was originally detained on allegations of violating Afghan laws, though Taliban authorities never publicly specified what laws he was accused of breaking. His detention lasted approximately 14 months.

The release comes weeks after the United States designated Afghanistan as a "state sponsor of wrongful detention," according to reports. The timing of Coyle's freedom in relation to this designation was not explicitly addressed by Afghan officials.

Coyle's case represents one of several instances of Americans being detained by the Taliban government since it regained control of Afghanistan in 2021. The circumstances surrounding his original detention and the specific nature of his academic work in Afghanistan remain unclear.