Who Is Faye Hall, American Woman Released By Taliban After Months In Custody?

An American woman, Faye Hall, who had been detained by the Taliban in February, has been released and is now in the care of Qatari officials in Kabul, according to sources familiar with the matter. Former U.S. envoy to Kabul, Zalmay Khalilzad, confirmed her release in a statement on social media.

“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 wrote on X.

Allegations and Negotiated Release

Hall was taken into custody alongside British nationals Peter and Barbie Reynolds, both in their 70s, and their Afghan translator while traveling to the Reynolds’ residence in Bamiyan province. While Hall has been freed, the Reynolds remain in Taliban custody, according to CBS News.

Sources indicate that Hall was detained on charges of using a drone without authorization. Her release on Thursday was facilitated through negotiations brokered by Qatari officials. After undergoing medical evaluations, she was found to be in good health.

Who is Faye Hall?

Faye Hall, an American citizen, was detained by the Taliban in Afghanistan on February 1, along with a British couple and their Afghan translator. The group was taken into custody while visiting Bamiyan province in central Afghanistan.

The Taliban’s interior ministry identified Hall as a Chinese-American national. While the exact reason for her arrest remains unclear, a CNN report suggests she was detained for allegedly operating a drone without authorization.

Also arrested were British nationals Peter and Barbie Reynolds, a couple in their 70s, and their Afghan translator. The couple had been running training programs for women and girls in Afghanistan for years and were among the few Westerners who chose to remain in the country after the Taliban takeover, according to the BBC. There has been no update on their release.

Faye Hall Thanks President

Following her release, Faye Hall expressed gratitude to President Trump in a video message shared by the White House. In the video, she states that she voted for him twice.

“I am so glad you’re in office. It’s a new era. And in this situation, I am grateful that you’re the President. Thank you for bringing me home. I have never been prouder to be an American citizen,” she says.

?? A Message from Faye Hall, an American Who Was Detained by the Taliban and Is Now Freed:

“I’m glad you’re the President, and thank you for bringing me home. I have never been so proud to be an American citizen. Thank you, Mr. President.” pic.twitter.com/7j0eIxzfo2

— The White House (@WhiteHouse) March 29, 2025

Suhail Shaheen, the Taliban’s ambassador in Qatar, described Hall’s release as a “goodwill gesture.”

“Better for bilateral relations, that such gestures are reciprocated,” Shaheen stated. “Actually, after (the) liberation of our country, we are in a new phase of reconstruction of Afghanistan. We want to have positive relations with (the) U.S. and other countries. This is an area which needs to be explored.”

A photograph posted by Khalilzad showed Hall smiling alongside Qatari representatives before her departure from Afghanistan. CBS News has reached out to the U.S. State Department for comment.

The Reynolds’ Continued Detention

Peter and Barbie Reynolds, who have been involved in education training programs in Afghanistan for nearly two decades, remain in Taliban custody. The couple married in Kabul in 1970 and stayed in the country even after the Taliban takeover in 2021, when the British embassy withdrew its staff. Their daughter has expressed concerns about her father’s health and has called for their release.

Hall, a close friend of the Reynolds, had traveled to Afghanistan in February to assist them with their education initiatives, according to a member of the Reynolds family.

Recent Hostage Releases by the Taliban

Hall’s release follows the Taliban’s recent decision to free U.S. citizen George Glezmann, an Atlanta native, after a deal brokered by Qatar. Glezmann had been detained in December 2022 while on a tourist visit to Afghanistan. His release was also described as a “goodwill gesture” to President Trump, according to Khalilzad.

Earlier this year, two other Americans, Ryan Corbett and William McKenty, were freed in January as part of a prisoner exchange involving a Taliban figure who had been jailed in California on drug trafficking and terrorism charges.

However, at least one American, Mahmood Habibi, remains in Taliban custody. The U.S. government has classified Habibi’s detention as “unjust” since his disappearance in 2022. The FBI issued a public notice in August 2024, stating that Habibi was believed to have been taken by Taliban military or security forces while working as a contractor for a Kabul-based telecom company. The Taliban, however, deny holding him.

“No, we don’t have him,” Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid told CBS News in January.

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