Kuwait has recently released 10 American detainees, adding to a total of nearly 24 individuals freed by the country over the past two months. These actions were confirmed by U.S. officials to The Associated Press on Wednesday.
The pardoning of 23 Americans by Kuwait since March is considered a significant goodwill gesture by the U.S. ally. It stands out as the largest release of U.S. citizens by a foreign nation in recent years.
The released prisoners, comprising both men and women, consist of military contractors and veterans who were detained on charges related to drugs and other offenses by the small, oil-rich nation. Among them is an individual whom supporters claim was forced to sign a false confession and faced physical violence and threats directed at his family.
Ten others were released in March, weeks after a visit to Kuwait by Adam Boehler, who is serving as the Trump administration’s envoy for hostage affairs.
“We flew out, we sat down with the Kuwaitis, and they said, ‘Listen, no one’s ever asked before at this level” for the release of the Americans, Boehler told the AP.
The releases were not done as part of a swap and the U.S. was not asked to give up anything in return.
“They’ve been extremely responsive, and their view is the United States is a huge ally. They know it’s a priority for (President Donald Trump) to bring Americans home,” Boehler said. “I credit it to the Kuwaiti understanding that we’ve stood up for them historically and they know that these things are important for the president.”
Kuwait is considered a major non-NATO ally of the U.S. The U.S. and Kuwait have had a close military partnership since America launched the 1991 Gulf War to expel Iraqi troops after Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein invaded Kuwait, with some 13,500 American troops stationed in Kuwait at Camp Arifjan and Ali al-Salem Air Base.
But the country also has detained many American military contractors on drug charges, in some cases for years. Their families have alleged that their loved ones faced abuse while imprisoned in a country that bans alcohol and has strict laws regarding drugs. Others have criticized Kuwaiti police for bringing trumped-up charges and manufacturing evidence used against them – allegations never acknowledged by the autocratic nation ruled by a hereditary emir.
A spokesperson for the Kuwaiti embassy in Washington didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment.
The Americans freed Wednesday “maintain their innocence, and it’s important to note none of these cases had an identified victim, and all of them were built on supposed confessions taken in Arabic without translation,” according to a statement from Jonathan Franks, a private consultant working on cases involving American hostages and detainees who represented nine of the 10 people released. He spent weeks in the country trying to negotiate the releases.
He credited the Trump administration for looking “for reasons to bring Americans home” even when they are not designated by the U.S. government has having been wrongfully detained. He said “these Americans, mostly veterans, lost years with their families.”
Among those freed Wednesday was Tony Holden, an HVAC technician and career defense contractor. He was working in support of Camp Arifjan at the time of his November 2022 arrest, when his family and supporters allege he was “set up by corrupt Kuwaiti police looking to earn bonuses.”
His supporters say his wife and daughter were physically threatened, that he was coerced into signing a written confession in Arabic and that his drug possession charge and sentence came in spite of him testing negative in a drug test and abstaining for religious reasons from drug and alcohol use.
“We are grateful to see Tony Holden released today,” said Stacia George, chief engagement officer of Global Reach, a nonprofit organization that has advocated for Holden’s release. “Tony is an innocent man who was held unjustly for 902 days and this gives him the ability to come home to his family and restart his life.”
Added U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio: “We celebrate his release and return to the United States.”
A minor is also being released in the coming days but is expected to remain in Kuwait, a U.S. official said.
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