American Woman Freed by Taliban After Months in Custody

• Mar 29, 2025

An American woman detained in Afghanistan earlier this year has been released by the Taliban as part of a deal brokered with the help of Qatari negotiators, a source familiar with the situation said. The woman, Faye Hall, had been held since February, along with two British nationals and their Afghan translator.

Former U.S. envoy to Kabul, Zalmay Khalilzad, confirmed Hall’s release in a statement on X, saying she was now in the care of Qatari officials in Kabul and would soon be returning home. Khalilzad, who has been involved in negotiations to secure the release of detainees held by the Taliban, also shared a photo of Hall smiling alongside Qatari representatives before her departure.

Hall was arrested while traveling with British couple Peter and Barbie Reynolds to their home in Bamiyan province. According to sources, she was detained on charges of using a drone without authorization. The British couple remains in Taliban custody, and their daughter has voiced serious concerns about their well-being, particularly her father’s health.

Hall’s release follows the recent return of another American, George Glezmann, who had been held by the Taliban since December 2022 after being detained while visiting Afghanistan as a tourist. U.S. officials had described Glezmann’s detention as wrongful. Khalilzad said the Taliban viewed his release as a goodwill gesture toward President Trump.

This year, the Taliban has released multiple Americans, including Ryan Corbett and William McKenty, who were freed in January as part of a prisoner exchange. The U.S. government swapped them for a Taliban member imprisoned in California on drug trafficking and terrorism charges.

However, at least one other American, Mahmood Habibi, remains in Taliban custody. The FBI has described him as “unjustly held” since 2022. According to a public notice issued by the agency in August 2024, Habibi was working as a contractor for a telecom company in Kabul when he disappeared. The FBI believes he was taken by Taliban forces, but the Taliban denies holding him.

The Taliban government remains unrecognized by any country, though nations such as Russia, China, and Turkey have maintained diplomatic missions in Kabul. Since President Trump’s re-election, Taliban officials have expressed hopes for improved relations with Washington. However, with foreign nationals still detained and diplomatic tensions ongoing, it remains unclear how future negotiations will unfold.