Let’s start with the good news.

Russia is far from the only country illegally holding political hostages from the United States and elsewhere. One such has been Dennis Coyle, 64, who — after more than a year in a prison in Afghanistan with no charges having been filed against him or any reason given for his arrest — is now back in the United States with his family.

Coyle had spent more than 20 years working as an academic researcher in Afghanistan. His release was negotiated, with the help of the United Arab Emirates and Qatar, just weeks after the U.S. declared Afghanistan a sponsor of wrongful detention. The Taliban Foreign Ministry confirmed his release, saying in a statement that:

“ . . . the Supreme Court determined that his previous detention was sufficient. The Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan carried out this action based on humanitarian considerations and goodwill, and believes that such steps can further strengthen an atmosphere of trust between countries. It also expressed hope that both nations will find solutions to remaining issues through mutual understanding and constructive dialogue in the future.” [Jennifer Hansler, CNN, March 25, 2026.]

Right . . . the Taliban suddenly grew a heart.

Following Coyle’s return, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio issued the following carefully-worded statement:

“Today, after more than a year of captivity in Afghanistan, Dennis Coyle is on his way home. We thank the United Arab Emirates for its support in securing Dennis’ release. We also appreciate Qatar’s continued support and advocacy for Americans unjustly detained in Afghanistan.

“While this is a positive step by the Taliban, more work needs to be done. We are still seeking the immediate return of Mahmood Habibi, Paul Overby, and all other unjustly detained Americans.” [Id.]

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Which brings us to the bad news: that, despite U.S. hopes that Habibi and Overby would be produced and released along with Coyle, that did not happen.

Habibi, a joint Afghan-American citizen, had led the Afghan Aviation Authority under the U.S.-backed government before the withdrawal of U.S. troops in 2021. He was working as a consultant for a Kabul-based telecommunications firm when he and his driver were abducted from their vehicle in Kabul by Taliban forces in August of 2022, and has been held incommunicado ever since. According to his family, the Taliban deny that they are holding him. [Foley Foundation, undated.]

*. *. *

Paul Overby’s case is even more mysterious than Habibi’s. He is an 84-year-old American author who was last seen in Khost City, Afghanistan, in May of 2014, while conducting research for a new book. He was reportedly on his way to Waziristan in Pakistan’s Federally Administered Tribal Areas when he disappeared. In May of 2018, the FBI’s Washington Field Office announced a reward of up to $1,000,000 for information leading to his safe return, which as of the present time remains unclaimed. [Foley Foundation, April 6, 2026.]

While Overby’s fate is unknown, his family believes he is being held by the Taliban, and continues to hold out hope for his eventual return.

*. *. *

In the meantime, we continue our watch over the many other political prisoners still incarcerated in Russia and elsewhere. Here again is the list of those known, which sadly is only a fraction of the total:

Prisoners of War:

The 20,000+ Kidnapped Ukrainian Children
The People of Ukraine

Immigrant Detainees in Russia:

Migrants from the Central Asian nations of Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan,
Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan

Endangered Exiles:

Pavel “Pasha” Talankin
Mikita Losik
Yulia Navalnaya
Countless Journalists and Other Dissidents

Political Prisoners:

In Afghanistan:

Dennis Coyle (American)
Mahmoud Habibi (Afghan-American)
Paul Overby (American, missing since 2018)

In Azerbaijan:

The “Azerbaijan 7”:
— Farid Mehralizada
— Ulvi Hasanli
— Sevinj Abbasova (Vagifqiai)
— Mahammad Kekalov
— Hafiz Babali
— Nargiz Absalamova
— Elnara Gasimova

In Belarus:

Andrei Chapiuk
Uladzimir Labkovich
Andrzej Poczobut
Marfa Rabkova
Valiantsin Stafanovic
Yuras Zyankovich

In Georgia:

Mzia Amaglobeli

In Russia:

The “Crimea 8”:
— Oleg Antipov
— Artyom Azatyan
— Georgy Azatyan
— Aleksandr Bylin
— Roman Solomko
— Artur Terchanyan
— Dmitry Tyazhelykh
— Vladimir Zloba

James Scott Rhys Anderson (British)
Aleksandr Andreyev
David Barnes (American)
Gordon Black (American)
Hayden Davies (British)
Anastasia Dyudyaeva
Antonina Favorskaya
Konstantin Gabov
Robert Gilman (American)
Stephen James Hubbard (American)
Sergey Karelin
Timur Kishukov
Vadim Kobzev
Darya Kozyreva
Artyom Kriger
Michael Travis Leake (American)
Aleksei Liptser
Grigory Melkonyants
Nika Novak
Leonid Pshenychnov (in Russian-occupied Crimea)
Nadezhda Rossinskaya (a.k.a. Nadin Geisler)
Sofiane Sehili (French)
Igor Sergunin
Dmitry Shatresov
Robert Shonov
Grigory Skvortsov
Eugene Spector (American)
Joseph Tater (American, disappeared)
Laurent Vinatier
Robert Romanov Woodland (American)

You have not been, and will not be, forgotten.

Just sayin’ . . .

Brendochka
4/19/26