Rubio announces the liberation of US citizens in the hands of Afghanistan
The Secretary of State, Marco Rubio, announced in a statement on Sunday the launch of the American citizen Amir Amiry, who had been considered unfairly detained in Afghanistan.
This is the fifth launch of an American detention citizen in Afghanistan this year. Amiry’s case was not previously known to the public.
In his statement, Rubio thanked and accredited President Donald Trump for his leadership and commitment, and also gave Qatar credit for helping to ensure Amiry’s liberation.
“Today, thanks to the leadership and commitment of President Trump with the American people, the United States welcomes American citizens Amir Amiry, who was unfairly arrested in Afghanistan. We express our sincere gratitude to Qatar, whose strong associations and tireless diplomatic efforts were vital to ensure his release,” Rubio said in his statement.
In this photo published by the Qatar Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the American citizen Amiri, on the left, poses next to an unidentified woman, aboard a plane in Kabul, Afghanistan, on September 28, 2025, after being released from an Afghan prison. With him, from the right, there is a diplomat of Qatar, Sebastian Gorka, attached assistant of President Donald Trump and the special envoy of the United States for the response of the Hostages Adam Boehler.
AP
Rubio said that there are still other Americans “unfairly detained” in Afghanistan and that Trump “will not rest” until they are returned home.
State Department officials have said that they expect an executive order signed by Trump earlier this year will deter nations of unjustly stopping American citizens and will help ensure the liberation of Americans detained unfairly detained abroad. The EO improves efforts to protect US citizens from illicit detention abroad by authorizing solid responses against foreign governments participating in such practices.
Special sent for the hostage response Adam Boehler traveled to Kabul to personally supervise Amiry’s liberation and to ensure that everything was as planned, according to an administration official.
The officer notes that Amiry was an American citizen and had received a special immigrant (SIV) visa, which is an immigration program of the United States for Iraqis and Afghan who worked for the government or military of the United States to become permanent residents. SIV holders examples include translators and performers. No details of Amiry’s employment were provided.
Diplomatic conversations and negotiations that lead to Amiry’s release were a joint effort of the United States. This was not an exchange of prisoners and the United States gave nothing to the Taliban in exchange for Amiry’s safe return, said an American official.
The launch of Amiry and Boehler’s visit to the region occurs a week after Trump urged the Taliban to return control of the Bagram air base to the United States, threatening “bad things” to Afghanistan if he does not.
