"Women in Afghan Prisons...": US Woman Freed By Taliban Sends Message To Trump

In a video shared on Donald Trump's Truth Social account, American citizen Faye Hall expressed gratitude to the President Trump for securing her release from Taliban custody in Afghanistan. Smiling and appearing in good health, she said, "Thank you for bringing me home."

Hall, along with a British couple, Peter and Barbie Reynolds, and their Afghan translator, was detained on February 1 while traveling to central Bamiyan province. Washington's former envoy to Kabul, Zalmay Khalilzad, confirmed that Hall was in the care of the Qatari delegation in Kabul and would soon return home.

"American citizen Faye Hall, just released by the Taliban, is now in the care of our friends, the Qataris in Kabul, and will soon be on her way home," Khalilzad posted on X. A source familiar with the situation confirmed that Hall had undergone medical checks at the Qatari embassy and was in good health. She was released on Thursday following a court order with logistical support from Qatar.

In her video message, Hall thanked Trump and also called attention to the plight of Afghan women imprisoned by the Taliban. "All the women in the Afghan jail always ask me, 'When is Trump coming?' They truly see you as their savior. They're waiting for you to come and set them free," she said.

Trump responded to her message with a post that read, "Thank you Faye-so honored with your words!"

Hall, identified by the Taliban's interior ministry as a Chinese-American, was reportedly detained for using a drone without authorization. The British couple arrested alongside her remains in Taliban custody. Their daughter has voiced concerns about her father's health and appealed to the Taliban for their release. The Reynolds, married in Kabul since 1970, have run school training programs in Afghanistan for 18 years and chose to remain in the country after the Taliban takeover in 2021.

Hall's release follows that of U.S. citizen George Glezmann, who was freed earlier this month after spending over two years in Taliban custody. In January, two other Americans, Ryan Corbett and William McKenty, were released in exchange for Afghan fighter Khan Mohammed, who had been convicted of narco-terrorism in the U.S. However, at least one other American, Mahmood Habibi, remains detained in Afghanistan.

While the Taliban government remains unrecognized globally, countries including Russia, China, Turkey, and Qatar maintain diplomatic relations. Since Trump's reelection, the Taliban has expressed hopes for a "new chapter" in relations with Washington.