4 weeks ago
Wife of American held by Taliban speaks retired
Attorneys for Ryan Corbett, an American who has been imprisoned without complaint by nan Taliban successful Afghanistan since August 2022, revenge urgent petitions connected Thursday pinch nan United Nations successful nan latest push for his release.
The petitions see testimonies from 2 precocious released, non-American detainees who described Corbett's deteriorating intelligence and beingness condition arsenic good arsenic descriptions of torture and different sadistic and degrading curen by nan Taliban.
Filed earlier nan UN Special Rapporteur connected Torture and nan UN Working Group for Arbitrary Detention, nan petitions said nan individuals who were jailed pinch Corbett expressed concerns that nan 40-year-old begetter of 3 could dice soon, owed to aesculapian problems, maltreatment aliases self-harm.
The erstwhile detainees described Taliban holders' threats of beingness unit against Corbett, who they said was forced to perceive to nan torture of different prisoners successful a compartment wherever humor was visible connected nan walls.
The individuals besides said Corbett was severely malnourished and suffered from blackouts and fainting episodes, was seldom allowed to ablution aliases spell to nan bathroom, and was being held successful a basement compartment pinch almost nary sunlight aliases exercise.
Ryan Corbett successful Afghanistan.
Courtesy Corbett family)
Suhail Saheen, nan caput of nan Taliban's governmental agency successful Qatar, told CBS News he had nary accusation astir nan claims of torture. "As per my information, he has entree to doctors and telephonic conversations pinch his family connected regular basis. Torture is unlawful and prohibited by nan Islamic Emirate," he said.
If nan UN arms return up nan petitions, they tin unfastened investigations and rumor non-binding ineligible opinions declaring an individual wrongfully detained and calling for their release.
"Today's filings are an urgent consequence to nan horrific conditions successful which Ryan has been suffering for complete 20 months. It would beryllium difficult to ideate conditions that would airs a greater contiguous threat to nan life of a detainee," said Kate Gibson, 1 of nan family's attorneys, successful a statement.
Anna Corbett, Ryan's wife, said successful a connection that her husband's business was "rapidly worsening," and that she and her children were "concerned that nan President is not focusing connected bringing him location earlier it is excessively late."
"I person hardly received connection from nan White House though I proceed to inquire for meetings pinch President Biden and [National Security Advisor] Jake Sullivan. These requests are near unanswered," she said, noting she did precocious meet pinch Deputy Secretary of State Kurt Campbell.
"The United States is concerned astir nan well-being of Americans detained successful Afghanistan and actively moving for their release," a State Department spokesperson told CBS News.
The White House and United States Mission to nan United Nations did not instantly respond to requests for comment.
In erstwhile interviews pinch CBS News' Margaret Brennan, Anna said she had only had 5 telephone calls pinch Ryan successful nan past 20 months. In what she called a "disturbing" telephone successful March, Anna said Ryan "exhibited a importantly deteriorated intelligence state," and that he was starting to judge what he was told by his captors - that he was forgotten by his country.
Anna Corbett attended nan president's State of nan Union reside successful March to raise consciousness of her husband's case. Earlier this month, nan Senate passed a resolution calling for Ryan Corbett's merchandise earlier his 41st birthday.
Mukhtar Ahmed contributed to this report.
- In:
- Taliban
- Afghanistan
