American Woman Faye Hall Freed by Taliban with Qatari Mediation

An American woman, Faye Hall, who had been detained in Afghanistan since February, has been released by the Taliban and is in good health, according to diplomatic sources.

Hall was freed on Thursday following a court order and with logistical support from Qatar, which played a mediating role on behalf of the United States. She had been detained on charges of operating a drone without authorization.

After her release, Hall was received at the Qatari Embassy in Kabul, where she underwent medical checks confirming her well-being. Arrangements are now being made for her return to the U.S.

Zalmay Khalilzad, the former U.S. ambassador to Afghanistan, shared an image of Hall alongside Qatari officials on Saturday, expressing gratitude to Qatar for its efforts.

President Donald Trump later posted a video of Hall thanking him for securing her release.

Hall’s release follows the recent return of another American, George Glezmann, whose freedom was also brokered by Qatari mediators. Since the U.S. does not have a diplomatic presence in Afghanistan, Qatar represents American interests as a “protective power.”

Meanwhile, the U.S. recently removed multi-million-dollar bounties on three Taliban officials—Sirajuddin Haqqani, Abdul Aziz Haqqani, and Yahya Haqqani—while maintaining their designation as Specially Designated Global Terrorists. The Haqqani Network remains classified as a Foreign Terrorist Organization.

This move comes amid ongoing concerns about potential American detainees in Afghanistan. Secretary of State Marco Rubio recently warned that if the Taliban is holding more U.S. hostages than reported, the U.S. would consider imposing significant bounties on their leaders.