H. Res. 965 

In the House of Representatives, U. S., 

June 11, 2024. 

Whereas United States citizen Ryan Corbett has lived a life 

of service, by supporting humanitarian projects in Afghanistan by helping the Afghan people start and operate 

small businesses; 

Whereas Ryan Corbett moved his family to Afghanistan in 

2010 to help the local population and lived there for over 

a decade aiding the local Afghan population; 

Whereas in 2017, Ryan Corbett founded ‘‘Bloom Afghanistan’’ to provide consulting and microloans to Afghan 

small businesses to help build a self-sustaining local economy of Afghan small businesses; 

Whereas Ryan Corbett is known to his family, friends, colleagues, and associates as a loving father, as well as a 

kind, service-oriented man; 

Whereas Ryan Corbett was forced to leave his life, community, and Afghan partners behind during the August 

2021 Taliban takeover of Afghanistan and the ensuing 

evacuation of American citizens; 

Whereas in August 2022, Ryan Corbett traveled to Afghanistan for a 10-day trip to check in on his business and 

employees and was detained by the Taliban; 
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•HRES 965 EH 

Whereas the Taliban detained Ryan Corbett without being 

charged with a crime or granting him due process in any 

judicial proceedings; 

Whereas, on October 10, 2023, Ryan Corbett was designated 

as wrongfully detained by the Department of State; 

Whereas Ryan Corbett is being held in a 9-foot by 9-foot cell 

with two other detainees, and has been held in solitary 

confinement for months at a time; 

Whereas the Taliban has not granted Ryan Corbett any consular visits by Department of State personnel; 

Whereas during his detention, Ryan Corbett has only had 3 

phone calls totaling 22 minutes with his family, and has 

only had 2 in-person visits with representatives of the 

United States protecting power in Afghanistan, Qatar; 

Whereas three non-American individuals previously detained 

with Ryan Corbett have been released and have reported 

on Ryan’s conditions; 

Whereas Ryan Corbett’s former cellmates stated that prisoners at that facility must survive on scraps of fatty 

meat, only have access to sunlight once a month, and 

cannot use the bathroom without permission; 

Whereas Ryan Corbett’s former cellmates stated that during 

their captivity, Ryan Corbett was suffering from seizures, 

fainting, and discolored extremities; and 

Whereas Ryan Corbett turned 40 years old during his wrongful detention, and his physical and mental health is rapidly declining due to the stress and harsh conditions, 

such that his family fears he will not survive his wrongful 

detention: Now, therefore, be it 

Resolved, That the House of Representatives— 
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•HRES 965 EH 

(1) calls on the Taliban to immediately and unconditionally release Ryan Corbett and all other American 

detainees; 

(2) urges the Taliban to respect Ryan Corbett’s 

human rights and to provide full, unfettered, and consistent health and safety visits to Ryan Corbett while in 

detention; 

(3) encourages the Government of Qatar, as the 

protecting power of the United States in Afghanistan, to 

continue in its efforts to conduct basic health and 

wellness checks on Ryan Corbett, thanks Qatar for its 

efforts thus far, and encourages Qatar to be involved in 

securing the release of Ryan Corbett; 

(4) urges all United States executive branch officials to continue to raise the case of Ryan Corbett and 

to press for his immediate release in all interactions with 

the Taliban; 

(5) condemns the Taliban’s practice of hostage taking and demands the Taliban to stop detaining United 

States citizens for political gain; 

(6) expresses sympathy for and solidarity with the 

families of all other citizens and lawful permanent residents of the United States wrongfully detained abroad; 

and 
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•HRES 965 EH 

(7) expresses support for the family of Ryan 

Corbett and a commitment to bringing Ryan Corbett 

home. 

Attest: 

Clerk.