What to do about an uptick in Americans unjustly held abroad
“My husband Ryan has been wrongfully detained by the Taliban in deplorable and inhumane conditions for 461 days,” Anna Corbett told a congressional committee in November. “His crime: being a US citizen in Afghanistan.” For years Mr Corbett had run a microfinance and consulting firm to help Afghan businesses, but his family fled the country amid the withdrawal of Western forces in 2021. He hoped his work could continue under Taliban rule, but authorities detained him during a visit in August 2022.
Only Mrs Corbett has spoken publicly, but at least six Americans have been detained in Afghanistan, according to a Republican congressional aide. Other hostile nations hold dozens of Americans hostage, though exact numbers are hard to come by. It can be difficult to define a wrongful detention, and some cases are kept quiet to help facilitate a potential release.
The James W. Foley Legacy Foundation, which works on behalf of Americans unjustly held abroad, estimates there are 64 publicly disclosed hostage and wrongful-detention cases. Twenty-one Americans were released in 2022, but recently some of those who watch the issue closely have noticed an uptick in detainees. No wonder: they can be lucrative bargaining chips.
2023-11-30 10:24:54
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