Kabul, Washington continue negotiations over prisoner swap: Mujahid

KABUL (Pajhwok): The Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan (IEA) says that negotiations with the United States over the release of prisoners are ongoing, but no final agreement has been reached so far.

According to reports, Zalmay Khalilzad, the former US Special Representative for Afghanistan Peace, said in an interview earlier this month that two American citizens remain in IEA custody.

CBS reported that it has been a year since Dennis Coyle, a 64-year-old American professor from Colorado, was arrested in Kabul by IEA security forces.

On Monday, The New York Times quoted Zabihullah Mujahid, the IEA’s chief spokesman, as saying that the Islamic Emirate has requested the release of the last Afghan prisoner, Mohammad Rahim Afghani, held at Guantanamo Bay, in exchange for the two American detainees.

Mohammad Rahim Afghani has been held at Guantanamo since 2008 and is reportedly the last Afghan in US custody. Although reports of his release emerged in late September 2025, the matter remains unresolved.

Mujahid told CBS: “Negotiations have indeed taken place and are ongoing; however, both sides have not yet reached a final conclusion.”

He added: “The Afghan government remains committed to the discussions with the United States. It should also be noted that Afghans have been wrongly detained by the United States and continue to be held there. Their fate, and the suffering of their families, mirrors that experienced by other detainees.”

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