Afghanistan Peace CampaignWest added that Ryan Corbett and Mahmood Habibi were arrested in Afghanistan on this day two years ago.
US special envoy for Afghanistan Thomas West said there are continued efforts to secure the release of three American citizens held by the Afghan interim government.
The US special envoy for Afghanistan said: “We will and we must continue every effort to bring them and George Glezmann home to their families.”
“The American individuals imprisoned in Afghanistan might be released or exchanged with Afghan prisoners in the US by the Islamic Emirate as it seeks to establish good relations with the US,” said Saleem Paigir, a political analyst.
Meanwhile, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) has issued a statement seeking information about Mahmood Habibi, an American citizen of Afghan origin. According to the statement, Mahmood Habibi was an employee of a telecommunications company in Afghanistan who was arrested on August 10, 2022, along with 29 other employees. All the other employees have been released except Mahmood Habibi.
The FBI statement reads: “The FBI is seeking information into the disappearance of Mahmood Shah Habibi in 2022 in Afghanistan. Mr. Habibi is an Afghan-American businessman, and he worked as a contractor for Asia Consultancy Group, a Kabul-based telecommunications company.”
Meanwhile, the chairman of the United States House Committee on Foreign Affairs criticized the Biden administration, saying it has no plan to free Ryan Corbett. He claimed that this American citizen is being tortured in Afghanistan.
The US House Committee on Foreign Affairs wrote: “Despite repeated requests, President Biden has still not met with Ryan’s wife Anna or their family. Ryan’s mental and physical health is deteriorating daily, yet the Biden-Harris administration still has no plan to bring him home.”
“These reports of their torture have not been documented and there is no evidence; these claims are being used merely for election campaigns and to blame one another,” said Samiullah Ahmadzai, a political analyst.
At the same time, Ryan Corbett’s wife has asked the US President to fulfill his promise regarding her husband’s release.
Anna Corbett, Ryan Corbett’s wife, said: “I have written emails, I have asked to meet with him — they’ve all been ignored. He broke his promise to me.”
The Islamic Emirate has not recently commented on this matter; however, previously, a spokesperson for the Islamic Emirate had said that they discussed a prisoner exchange with US representatives on the sidelines of the third Doha meeting.