June 10, 2024
Update 8: 10 June 2024
Ryan has been held 669 days
Dear Supporter,
Thank you for your faithful support and engagement on the detainment of our husband and father, Ryan Corbett, by the Taliban in Afghanistan since August 10th 2022.
The Latest from Anna
Although sadly, Ryan has still not been released, much has happened since the last update. At the end of April, my lawyers filed petitions with the UN Rapporteur on Torture and the Working Group on Arbitrary Detention. This was a huge step in raising awareness of Ryan’s situation and the result of many hours of research and gathering testimonials of others detained with Ryan over the past 665 days.
In early May, I was invited to testify of our family’s experience on Ryan’s wrongful detainment at a Hostage Roundtable, hosted by the House of Foreign Affairs Committee. I was grateful to Chairman McCaul for the opportunity to highlight Ryan’s deteriorating health and need for immediate action.
Mid-May, I took a brief trip to Doha in order to meet with Qatari officials and thank them for their help in facilitating 3 health and safety visits to Ryan, as well as 8 phone calls. They were very hospitable, and they shared how eager they are to help. It was evident that they are deeply committed to bringing Ryan home. I was also able to meet with the US Ambassador to Qatar Timmy Davis and the US Chargée d’Affaires of the US Mission to Afghanistan, Karen Decker, who are both supportive and engaged with efforts to bring Ryan home.
The last 2 phone calls the kids and I have had with Ryan were difficult. Overall, it is evident that Ryan is getting weaker, and we’re deeply worried that time may be running out. Due to much weight loss, his wedding ring no longer fits, and he worries about the long-term effects of this detainment on his health. He said his skin is like crocodile skin, and his eyesight is declining. He continues to have very little access to sunlight, and he is not given vitamins or a varied diet. The constant lies and promises of imminent release have led to a significantly deteriorated mental state. As you can imagine, hearing these details is terrifying for the kids and I and motivates us to continue advocating on his behalf. Prior to being taken in August 2022 Ryan was a physically and mentally healthy 39-year-old – now after 22 months, Ryan is a 41 year old with chronic, compounding untreated health concerns – I’m worried time is running out.
I just returned from my 12th trip to DC this week, in which I met with Deputy Secretary of State Kurt Campbell, a National Security Council representative, and interacted with many offices on the Hill – a grand total of 18 meetings in 3 short days. This last trip was covered by the State Department – I was the first one to take advantage of this new funding for families of wrongfully detained, and I am extremely grateful for those who have fought to turn this idea into legislation.
Time is running out rapidly! Ryan is about to miss his daughter’s High school graduation on June 28th, as if he had not missed enough milestones already. One of the recent ones was Ketsia being voted Prom Queen. Thank you for continuing to do everything you can to bring Ryan home as soon as possible!!!
You can help by reaching out to your House Representatives and Senator’s offices with instructions outlined below. I continue to seek a meeting with President Biden to plead Ryan’s case to him directly but have not yet been successful. If you have relationships at the White House that could add more voices in calling for the President to meet me, please reach out.
Thank you for your consistent support!!
Call your House Representatives & Senators
Please call your Representative & Senator’s offices
Find your Representative’s Contact Info at this Link
Find your Senator’s Contact Info at this Link
Let’s make our voices heard and urge our representatives to prioritize his quick and safe return home. Together, we can make a difference and bring Ryan home. #FreeRyanCorbett
House Representatives: Call and ask that they “Vote to support H.Res 965 Calling for the immediate release of Ryan Corbett” – The Resolution will be voted on this week (Week of 10 June). (H.Res.965 Co-sponsors). Please also ask them to reach out to the State Department & White House National Security Counsel (NSC) pushing to prioritize getting Ryan Home.
Senators: Call and ask that they “Contact Leader Schumer or Leader McConnell’s office to cosponsor S.Res.638 Calling for the immediate release of Ryan Corbett”. Although the Senate resolution was already passed by unanimous consent it remains open for co-sponsors which is critical to show broad bipartisan support for bringing Ryan home. (S.Res.638 Co-sponsors). Please also ask them to reach out to the State Department & White House National Security Counsel (NSC) pushing to prioritize getting Ryan Home.
Please let us know if you receive a personal response. You can reach us at help@freeryancorbett.com.
Ketsia Corbett, Prom Queen
New Request to Write the Administration
Please follow the instructions to edit, convert to PDF and send the letter in the template at the link below:
PDF letter request to President Biden, Vice President Harris, Secretary Blinken, National Security Advisor Sullivan, and Ambassador Carstens
Be sure to edit and remove the instructions before converting to PDF and sending.
Tag Tweets/Shares/Post with: #freeryancorbett
Be brief, emphasizing the need to reunite the Corbett family. Monitor comments (if they do somehow occur) and delete the posts if they become negative or unhelpful.
