Dansville man freed by Taliban after 2+ years

Posted by author January 21, 2025 World

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Rochester, N.Y. — A Dansville man who was held hostage by the Taliban has been freed in a prisoner exchange.

Ryan Corbett, who moved to Afghanistan in 2010to work with non-governmental organizations and later started his own business, was detained in 2022.

BACKGROUND: Dansville woman pleads for husband’s safe release from Taliban detainment | Dansville family marks two years without man wrongfully detained in Afghanistan | Lawmakers continue push to free Livingston County man from Taliban captivity

Corbett and another American, William McKenty, have been released in a deal that also returned incarcerated Taliban member Khan Mohammadto Afghanistan.

The deal came as Joe Biden, who oversaw the chaotic U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan in 2021, handed power over to returning President Donald Trump. The Taliban praised the swap as a step toward the “normalization” of ties between the U.S. and Afghanistan, but that likely remains a tall order as most countries in the world still don’t recognize their rule.

The Taliban’s Foreign Ministry in Kabul confirmed the swap, saying two unidentified U.S. citizens had been exchanged for Khan Mohammed, who was sentenced to two terms of life imprisonment in 2008.

Corbett, who had lived in Afghanistan with his family at the time of the 2021 collapse of the U.S.-backed government, was detained by the Taliban in August 2022 while on a business trip.

His family confirmed his release in a statement Tuesday morning.

Today, our hearts are filled with overwhelming gratitude and praise to God for sustaining Ryan’s life and bringing him back home after what has been the most challenging and uncertain 894 days of our lives.

We are profoundly grateful to President Trump, National Security Advisor Mike Waltz, and incoming Special Presidential Envoy for Hostage Affairs Adam Boehler for their efforts, even before taking office, to help bring Ryan home. We also thank President Biden, former Secretary of State Blinken, former Special Presidential Envoy for Hostage Affairs Roger Carstens and his extraordinary team, including Jacob Hernandez, for their tireless work and steadfast dedication to bringing Ryan back to us. We are also grateful to former members of the National Security Council, including former National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan, Jennifer Daskal, Joshua Geltzer, David Cotter, and Chandler Yonge. The countless hours of negotiations, unwavering support, and determination demonstrated by all involved have not gone unnoticed, and we will forever hold this kindness in our hearts.

We want to extend our deepest thanks to His Highness the Amir and the Government of Qatar for their vital role in facilitating Ryan’s release, and for their visits to Ryan as the United States’s Protecting Power in Afghanistan. Your efforts as mediators, your compassion, and your commitment to diplomacy have given our family the most precious gift imaginable: Ryan’s freedom.

To our many champions on the Hill, including our Congresswoman Claudia Tenney; our Senators Chuck Schumer and Kirsten Gillibrand; Former Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell; Speaker of the House Mike Johnson; former House Foreign Affairs Committee Chair Michael McCaul and Ranking Member Gregory Meeks; Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chair James Risch and former Chair Senator Ben Cardin; Senator Chris Coons; Congressman Morgan McGarvey; and Congressman Dan Meuser: you never gave up on Ryan or our family and are a testament to what we can achieve when we work together across party lines.

To the team that has been by our side – Hansel Lee; Erin Pelton from Foretell; Ryan Fayhee, Ryan Anderson, Blair Campion, and John Babcock from Akin Gump; and Kate Gibson of Doughty Street Chambers, among them – we would not be reunited with Ryan were it not for the counsel, support and countless hours you have invested in getting us to this day. We are also grateful for the amazing support from Hostage US and the Foley Foundation, both of which are tireless advocates for families facing unfathomable crises.

To our friends, neighbors, and everyone who prayed for Ryan’s safe return, called your Member of Congress, or fueled our advocacy in countless other ways, your support has carried us through the darkest moments. You reminded us that hope endures, even in the face of despair.

To the many journalists who used their platforms to shed light on Ryan’s plight, your efforts were instrumental in keeping his story alive and improving the conditions of his captivity, and we deeply appreciate the vital role you played in bringing us to this moment.

While we begin the healing process with Ryan by our side, we remain mindful of the many families who are still waiting for their loved ones to return, including the families of George Glezmann and Mahmoud Habibi. It was our hope that Ryan, George and Mahmoud would be returned to their families together, and we cannot imagine the pain that our good fortune will bring them. We recognize the immense privilege of our family’s reunion today, and pledge to keep praying – and fighting – for George and Mahmoud’s swift release.