Sign in

Who is Faye Hall, US citizen released by Taliban in Afghanistan?

Faye Hall thanked President Trump for her release and said that she had voted for him twice. 

Published on: Mar 30, 2025, 08:20:29 IST
By
Share
Share via
  • facebook
  • twitter
  • linkedin
  • whatsapp
Copy link
  • copy link

Faye Hall, an American citizen who was detained by Taliban in Afghanistan earlier this year has been released and taken back to the United States in a new diplomatic win for the latter.

Faye Hall was identified by the Taliban interior ministry as Chinese-American. (Qatar Ministry of Foreign Affairs via AP)
Faye Hall was identified by the Taliban interior ministry as Chinese-American. (Qatar Ministry of Foreign Affairs via AP)

Upon reaching her home country back, Hall thanked US President Donald Trump for securing her release and said that she was glad that Trump was President.

Who is Faye Hall

Faye Hall is an American citizen who was detained by Taliban in Afghanistan on February 1, along with a British couple and their Afghan translator while they were visiting the country’s central Bamiyan province.

Faye Hall was identified by the Taliban interior ministry as Chinese-American. While the reason for her arrest was not certain, a CNN report says that she was detained on charges of operating a drone without authorization.

Along with Hall, a British couple - Peter and Barbie Reynolds, who are in their 70s, and their translator were also arrested while they were travelling to the couple’s home in central Bamiyan province. According to a BBC report, the couple had been running training programmes for women and girls in Afghanistan for years, and were among the few westerners who decided to stay there even after Taliban took control. There is no update on their release yet.

‘Thank you, Mr President’

After her release, Faye Hall thanked President Trump through a video message shared by the White House. She says in the video that she voted for him twice.

“I am so glad you’re in the office. It’s the new era. And in this situation, I am glad you’re the President, and thank you for bringing me home. I have never been so proud to be an American citizen,” she is heard saying in the video.

The news of Hall’s release was first shared by US’ former envoy to Afghanistan, Zalmay Khalizad, who shared a photo of her in Qatari care. “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. Thank you, #Qatar, for your ongoing and steadfast partnership,” he said in the post.

While the US doesn’t have diplomatic presence in Afghanistan, its interests are represented in the country through Qatar, said the CNN report.

With agency inputs.

  • Nikita Sharma
    ABOUT THE AUTHOR
    Nikita Sharma

    Nikita Sharma is a Senior Content Producer with Hindustan Times. She is a Delhi-based digital journalist with five years of experience writing and editing news stories across beats including crime, politics, tech, trends and much more, both national and international. At Hindustan Times, she is part of the news team and focuses on breaking news, keeping a track of what is happening where, and chasing ever-developing news stories. She has a penchant for covering crime, geopolitics, and Indian politics with a keen eye for stories often overlooked in the daily news cycle. At Hindustan Times, she has extensively covered several key events including the US Presidential elections, Air India plane crash, Pahalgam terror attack and Operation Sindoor, US’ tariff war, and others. As a Delhi aficionado, she particularly enjoys roaming and writing about the national capital — its heritage, food, art and culture, and the many problems that come with it — the pollution, waterlogging, traffic, and more. Nikita did her Bachelor in Journalism and Mass Communication from GGSIPU and started working as a digital journalist in 2021. During her first stint, she covered hyperlocal news at a Delhi-based newsroom, writing and editing stories on builder-buyer conflicts, civic issues such as potholes, waterlogging, lack of facilities at hospitals in Delhi, crippling of the city during peak monsoon season. She also wrote features covering Delhi’s art exhibitions, heritage walks, artist profiles, museums, classical Hindustani music concerts and dance shows. She entered mainstream news in 2023 and has previously worked at NDTV.Read More

Stay updated with US News covering politics, crime, weather, local events, and sports highlights. Get the latest on Donald Trump and American politics along with Horoscope 2026.