Dennis Coyle is a U.S. citizen from Colorado who has dedicated nearly two decades of his life to serving the people of Afghanistan. He is a quiet researcher whose love of language lead him to Afghanistan and its people. He spent years living in Afghanistan, among the Afghan people, steeped in their language and culture. The people who know him there love and respect him. However, as the Taliban has done in the past, they kidnapped Dennis so they could leverage him. On January 27, 2025, Dennis was detained without charges by the Taliban General Directorate of Intelligence while legally working to support Afghan language communities as an academic researcher. To this day, he has not been charged with any crime.
On June 2, 2025, the U.S. State Department officially declared that Dennis is being Wrongfully Detained in Afghanistan under the Robert Levinson Hostage Recovery and Hostage-Taking Accountability Act.
Dennis is being held in near-solitary conditions, requiring permission even to use the bathroom, and without access to adequate medical care. His family is deeply concerned for his health and well-being.
Learn more about Dennis’s story here: https://freedenniscoyle.com/
