The Taliban said that conditions set by Afghanistan must be met before any progress can be made regarding the release of two American prisoners.

A potential prisoner exchange between the Taliban and the United States has been discussed during the third United Nations-led meeting on Afghanistan in Doha, the Taliban spokesperson said.

According to Zabihullah Mujahid, these talks occurred alongside the main event, focusing on the exchange of two U.S. citizens held in Afghanistan for Afghan detainees in Guantanamo Bay.

“Discussions on a prisoner exchange have been ongoing with U.S. representatives,” Mujahid informed a press conference in Kabul. He also confirmed the presence of two American prisoners in Afghanistan but did not disclose their identities.

One of the detainees is reportedly an American woman, part of a group of NGO workers that were detained by the Taliban in September last year. The other is aid worker Ryan Corbett who has been held since 2022.

Mujahid stressed that the conditions set by Afghanistan must be accepted before any progress can be made.

“We should be able to free our citizens in exchange, as American citizens are important for them [the U.S.], just as Afghans are important for us,” Mujahid said.

Special Representative Thomas West and Special Envoy Rina Amiri held direct talks with the Taliban, during which State Department spokesman Vedant Patel emphasised the urgent need for “the immediate and unconditional release of U.S. citizens unjustly detained in Afghanistan.” Patel later clarified that this issue had been raised only recently.

Ryan Corbett, one of the two Americans believed to be held by the Taliban, was taken on August 10, 2022.

Corbett had returned to Afghanistan on a 12-month visa to reportedly oversee a business venture aimed at working around the private sector in Afghanistan through consulting services and lending.

Despite being moved between multiple prisons, his lawyers claim he has not been seen by anyone other than his fellow detainees since last December.

Meanwhile, U.S. authorities have been accused of torturing and abusing prisoners at Guantanamo Bay, where many detainees are held without charges or legal recourse to challenge their confinement.

For years, Washington has voiced its intention to reduce the number of detainees and ultimately close Guantanamo Bay, a facility located on the island of Cuba but under U.S. jurisdiction.

Participation and cooperation

The UN-sponsored meeting marked the first attendance by representatives of the Taliban administration since UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres initiated the Doha meetings a year ago.

Held on Sunday and Monday, the summit aimed to enhance international engagement with Afghanistan. Envoys from approximately two dozen countries participated, but a UN official clarified that attendance did not signify recognition of the Taliban government.

Despite 16 countries maintaining embassies in Afghanistan, the international community has withheld recognition of the Taliban due to its non-inclusive governance and suppression of women’s rights.

Mujahid reported that the Taliban had 24 sideline meetings with representatives from various countries, discussing Afghanistan’s priorities such as enhancing private sector cooperation and combating drug trafficking.

He noted that “most countries expressed their willingness to cooperate in these areas”.

The summit concluded with no pledges of reform from the Taliban or concessions from the international community.

The Taliban also called for an end to international sanctions, questioning their fairness in light of Afghanistan’s history of conflict and foreign intervention.