At least three US citizens remain in Taliban custody in Afghanistan despite the recent release of American national Amir Amiri, CNN reported, highlighting the continuing strain detainee cases place on Washington’s fragile engagement with Kabul.
Among the unresolved cases is Paul Edwin Overby Jr., an American writer who vanished in May 2014 while traveling toward Pakistan’s Waziristan region. He was last seen in Afghanistan’s Khost province while conducting research for a book. Officials now fear he may have died in captivity, though his fate remains uncertain.
The families of those still missing voiced mixed emotions relief at Amiri’s release, but frustration over the lack of progress on others. Ahmad Shah Habibi, whose brother Mahmoud Shah has been held since August 2022, said they were desperate for answers. “My brother is also an American, yet he has had no contact with his wife since his detention,” he told CNN, underscoring the emotional toll of prolonged uncertainty.
Sources familiar with the matter told CNN that the Taliban did not receive direct concessions in exchange for Amiri’s release, raising cautious optimism that additional detainees might be freed without formal prisoner swaps. Still, doubts persist. Mahmoud Shah Habibi was reportedly detained in connection with the 2022 killing of al-Qaeda leader Ayman al-Zawahiri in Kabul an allegation the Taliban deny, insisting they have no knowledge of his whereabouts.
Over the past several years, the Taliban have released at least five US citizens. Yet American officials acknowledge that others remain unaccounted for, reflecting the deep mistrust that continues to overshadow US-Taliban ties.
The US Secretary of State reaffirmed that President Donald Trump remains personally committed to bringing every American home, describing the safe return of detainees as a “non-negotiable priority.”
Analysts say the issue has become a litmus test for future relations between Washington and Kabul. While the release of Amiri injected a rare note of optimism, they warn that without tangible progress on remaining detainees, mistrust will persist, limiting the scope of engagement between the two sides and complicating regional diplomacy.
