Dennis Coyle, an American previously detained in Afghanistan, expressed deep gratitude at his release, having spent over a year detained in the country.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio confirmed Coyle’s release on Tuesday after it was ordered personally by Sheikh Haibatullah Akhundzada, the leader of Afghanistan. Coyle, 64, had been studying languages in the country for the past 20 years when the Taliban detained him, a detainment his family and the United States argued was arbitrary.