WASHINGTON (AP) — An American woman detained for weeks in Afghanistan by the Taliban has been released from custody, according to a person familiar with the matter and a social media post Saturday from a longtime U.S. diplomat.
Faye Dail Hall, who was detained in February on charges of using a drone without authorization, was released as part of a deal that Qatari negotiators helped broker, said the person, who spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity due to the sensitivity of the negotiations.
The person said that Hall was taken to the Qatari Embassy in Kabul, the Afghan capital, and was in good health, and that arrangements were being made for her to return to the U.S.
In a post on X, a former U.S. ambassador to Afghanistan, Zalmay Khalilzad, confirmed Hall's release with a photograph of her and said she would “soon be on her way home.” He posted that she was “now in the care of our friends, the Qataris in Kabul, and will soon be on her way home.”
Few details about Hall's case or the release were immediately available Saturday, including why she was in Afghanistan or how long or the circumstances of her detention. The State Department did not immediately comment.
Hall is believed to be the fourth American released from Afghanistan since January.
Earlier this month, George Glezmann, an airline mechanic from Atlanta, was freed after more than two years in custody. That release follows a separate deal, executed on the final day of the Biden administration and also mediated by the Qataris, that secured the releases of Ryan Corbett and William McKenty.
Officials in Kabul said recently that the U.S. had lifted bounties on three senior Taliban figures, including the interior minister, who also heads a powerful network blamed for attacks against Afghanistan’s former Western-backed government.
A Foreign Ministry official, Zakir Jalaly, has said the Taliban’s release of Glezmann and the removal of bounties showed both sides were “moving beyond the effects of the wartime phase and taking constructive steps to pave the way for progress” in bilateral relations.
AP Middle East News Director Victoria Eastwood in Cairo contributed to this report.
In this undated handout photo released by the Qatar Ministry of Foreign Affairs, American Faye Dail Hall, center, is pictured with diplomat Mirdef Alqashouti, of the Qatar Embassy in Afghanistan, left, after Dail was released Thursday, March 27, 2025, by the Taliban in Kabul, Afghanistan. (Qatar Ministry of Foreign Affairs via AP)
In this undated handout photo released by the Qatar Ministry of Foreign Affairs, American Faye Dail Hall is pictured after being released Thursday, March 27, 2025, by the Taliban in Kabul, Afghanistan. (Qatar Ministry of Foreign Affairs via AP)
ORMOND BEACH, Fla. (AP) — Republicans Jimmy Patronis and Randy Fine won special elections Tuesday in two Florida congressional districts, bolstered by President Donald Trump’s endorsement to fill vacant seats in reliably Republican strongholds.
Patronis, the state’s chief financial officer, fended off a challenge from Democrat Gay Valimont even though she far outraised and outspent him. He will fill the northwest Florida 1st District seat vacated by former Rep. Matt Gaetz, who was chosen to be Trump’s attorney general but withdrew from consideration amid allegations of sexual misconduct, which he has denied.
In north Florida's 6th District, Fine won against Democratic challenger Josh Weil for a seat vacated by Mike Waltz when he was tapped to become Trump’s national security adviser.
The win bolsters Republicans’ margin of 220-213 in the House of Representatives.
Special elections are often low-turnout events that can lead to surprising results. While GOP wins were widely expected in both districts — two of the most heavily Republican in the country — it’s notable that Democrats narrowed the margins considerably from November.
The races were among the first electoral tests of Trump’s new administration. The narrowing margins may signal a shift in public sentiment, driven by unusually strong Democratic enthusiasm as the party poured millions into the races. Democrats hoped that backlash to the president’s overhaul of federal agencies and firing of federal workers would carve into the GOP’s margins at the polls.
Trump congratulated both candidates late Tuesday and said his endorsement helped them secure a victory.
“THE TRUMP ENDORSEMENT, AS ALWAYS, PROVED FAR GREATER THAN THE DEMOCRATS FORCES OF EVIL. CONGRATULATIONS TO AMERICA!” he said on his Truth Social platform.
The mood was celebratory at a waterfront restaurant in Pensacola, where congratulatory text messages were already lighting up Patronis’ phone as early results were posted Tuesday night. Patronis worked the crowd of about 100 people shaking hands and giving hugs, his wife Katie and two sons in tow.
Republicans, including Gov. Ron DeSantis, had been saying that Fine’s underperformance should not be taken as a referendum on Trump, calling it a candidate-specific issue. However, early returns in the other district were showing that Patronis was also failing to match the large margins from November.
Fine, a self-described “conservative firebrand,” had faced growing pressure during the race’s final days as some Republicans publicly criticized his campaign and fundraising efforts, questioning whether this race would embarrass Republicans less than 100 days into Trump’s administration. Weil’s campaign raised an eye-popping $9 million compared to Fine’s $1 million.
National Democratic leaders have attributed Weil’s fundraising success to what they characterized as widespread outrage against Trump. That outrage failed to materialize in large enough numbers to overturn the outcome, foiling Democrats’ hope to pull off a huge upset that would have buoyed their party.
Fine was first elected to the Florida House in 2016 and ran each year as a representative until 2024 when he successfully won his election to the Florida Senate. He is known for his support of Israel and his efforts to restrict LGBTQ+ rights.
Kate Payne is a corps member for The Associated Press/Report for America Statehouse News Initiative. Report for America is a nonprofit national service program that places journalists in local newsrooms to report on undercovered issues.
Republican Jimmy Patronis looks at his phone during an election night watch party while awaiting election results Tuesday, April 1, 2025, in Pensacola, Fla. (AP Photo/Kate Payne)
Republican Jimmy Patronis is congratulated during an election night watch party Tuesday, April 1, 2025, in Pensacola, Fla. (AP Photo/Kate Payne)
Josh Weil talks to a group of supporters during a Get Out the Vote event in Ocala, Fla., Monday, March 31, 2025. (AP Photo/Stephany Matat)
