IV 

118TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION H. RES. 965 

Calling for the immediate release of Ryan Corbett, a United States citizen, 

who was wrongfully detained by the Taliban on August 10, 2022, and 

condemning the wrongful detention of Americans by the Taliban. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

JANUARY 16, 2024 

Ms. TENNEY (for herself, Mr. MEUSER, Mr. HILL, Ms. STEVENS, Mr. RYAN, 

Ms. TITUS, Mr. LANGWORTHY, Mr. D’ESPOSITO, Mr. LAWLER, Mr. 

MORELLE, Ms. MALLIOTAKIS, Mr. MCGARVEY, Mr. THOMPSON of California, Mr. MCCAUL, Mr. WILSON of South Carolina, Mr. COSTA, Mr. 

WALTZ, Mr. GOLDMAN of New York, Mr. WILLIAMS of New York, Mr. 

GARBARINO, Mr. MOLINARO, Mr. TONY GONZALES of Texas, Mr. NUNN

of Iowa, Mr. SMITH of New Jersey, Mr. NEWHOUSE, and Mr. STAUBER) 

submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the Committee 

on Foreign Affairs 

RESOLUTION 

Calling for the immediate release of Ryan Corbett, a United 

States citizen, who was wrongfully detained by the 

Taliban on August 10, 2022, and condemning the wrongful detention of Americans by the Taliban. 

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; 

2 

•HRES 965 IH 

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; 

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 

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•HRES 965 IH 

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 

1 Resolved, That the House of Representatives— 

2 (1) calls on the Taliban to immediately and un3 conditionally release Ryan Corbett and all other 

4 American detainees; 

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

6 human rights and to provide full, unfettered, and 

7 consistent health and safety visits to Ryan Corbett 

8 while in detention; 

9 (3) encourages the Government of Qatar, as the 

10 protecting power of the United States in Afghani11 stan, to continue in its efforts to conduct basic 

4 

•HRES 965 IH 

1 health and wellness checks on Ryan Corbett, thanks 

2 Qatar for its efforts thus far, and encourages Qatar 

3 to be involved in securing the release of Ryan 

4 Corbett; 

5 (4) urges all United States executive branch of6 ficials to continue to raise the case of Ryan Corbett 

7 and to press for his immediate release in all inter8 actions with the Taliban; 

9 (5) condemns the Taliban’s practice of hostage 

10 taking and demands the Taliban to stop detaining 

11 United States citizens for political gain; 

12 (6) expresses sympathy for and solidarity with 

13 the families of all other citizens and lawful perma14 nent residents of the United States wrongfully de15 tained abroad; and 

16 (7) expresses support for the family of Ryan 

17 Corbett and a commitment to bringing Ryan Corbett 

18 home. 

Æ