Taliban Seeks Release of Its Members From Guantanamo Bay In Exchange Of US Citizens
Zabihullah Mujahid, the Taliban spokesperson, announced on Wednesday that they had discussed prisoner exchanges with representatives of the United States in Doha.
Zabihullah Mujahid, the Taliban spokesperson, announced on Wednesday that they had discussed prisoner exchanges with representatives of the United States in Doha.
Mujahid said that the Taliban would release US citizens in exchange for the release of their forces from Guantanamo Bay.
Mujahid stated that the US must accept the group's conditions to free its citizens.
During a press conference in Kabul, he emphasised that just as US citizens are important to the United States, "our people" are important to the Taliban.
Two US citizens, a man and a woman, are currently held by the Taliban.
The Taliban arrested Ryan Corbett, a US citizen, in August 2022. US officials say he is being kept in solitary confinement and is in very poor health condition. Additionally, the Taliban detained an American woman last September.
The Taliban spokesperson did not specify who should be released from Guantanamo Bay in exchange for the US citizens.
Previously, a senior US official had said that the Taliban demanded the release of Muhammad Rahim al-Afghani in exchange for Ryan Corbett. Rahim al-Afghani has been imprisoned in Guantanamo since 2008.
Recently, the chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee urged Joe Biden to prioritise the release of Ryan Corbett.
