Anna Corbett and her three teenage children wait on the cold tarmac, bundled in winter coats. A plane descends through the darkness. It has been more than two years since Ryan Corbett was imprisoned in Afghanistan and kept from his family. At long last, the husband and father steps out of the plane.
U.S. officials secured Corbett’s freedom from Afghanistan’s Taliban. He is one of two American citizens freed in a prisoner swap on January 21. The other is a man named William McKenty. The men were released in exchange for Khan Mohammed, a terrorist imprisoned in California since 2008.
The Taliban abducted Corbett in Afghanistan in 2022. He was in the country for business at the time. Taliban forces moved him from prison to prison. Witnesses say he was malnourished and refused medical care.
There is little information available about McKenty. His family has asked for privacy.
The release deal was made shortly before former President Joe Biden handed power to President Donald Trump. Corbett’s family thanked both men and many other government workers. But most of all, his loved ones thanked God.
“Our hearts are filled with overwhelming gratitude and praise to God for sustaining Ryan’s life and bringing him back home,” they said in a statement.
They also thanked officials from the nation of Qatar. Qatar served as neutral mediator between the United States and Afghanistan. Officials from Qatar also checked in on Corbett during his captivity. In a statement, the Qatar Foreign Ministry expressed hopes that this prisoner swap would “pave the way” for more peaceful dealings.
But that’s a tall order when working with the Taliban. This group has ruled Afghanistan since U.S. forces pulled out in 2021. Taliban leaders enacted harsh laws that oppress their people, especially women. Many nations do not recognize their authority. The United States considers the Taliban a terrorist group.
Officials believe two other Americans are still held in Taliban captivity. White House National Security Council spokesperson Brian Hughes says the Trump administration will continue to demand their release.
We can pray for the release of those still wrongfully imprisoned and praise God for those released. We serve the God who sets the captives free!
He has sent me to proclaim liberty to the captives and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty those who are oppressed — Luke 4:18
