[Congressional Bills 118th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. Res. 638 Agreed to Senate (ATS)]

<DOC>






118th CONGRESS
  2d Session
S. RES. 638

  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 SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

               April 11 (legislative day, April 10), 2024

  Mr. Schumer (for himself and Mr. McConnell) submitted the following 
             resolution; which was considered and agreed to

_______________________________________________________________________

                               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 that help 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 more than a decade aiding the Afghan 
        people;
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;
Whereas Ryan Corbett is known to his family, friends, colleagues, and associates 
        as a loving father and husband as well as a kind, service-oriented man;
Whereas, in August 2021, Ryan Corbett was forced to leave his life, community, 
        and Afghan partners behind when the Taliban seized Kabul and United 
        States citizens were evacuated;
Whereas, in August 2022, Ryan Corbett traveled to Afghanistan for a 10-day trip 
        to check on his business and employees and was detained by the Taliban;
Whereas the Taliban detained Ryan Corbett without charging him with a crime or 
        granting him due process in any judicial proceedings;
Whereas, on September 29, 2023, Ryan Corbett was designated as wrongfully 
        detained by United States Secretary of State Antony Blinken;
Whereas Ryan Corbett is being held in a 9-foot by 9-foot underground cell with 
        two other Taliban detainees and has been held in solitary confinement on 
        multiple occasions;
Whereas Ryan Corbett has not been granted access to any physical consular visits 
        by United States Department of State personnel but has had limited 
        consular access via phone to a United States consular representative;
Whereas, during his detention, Ryan Corbett seldom has had phone calls with his 
        family and has only had limited in-person visits with personnel from 
        Qatar, the United States' protecting power in Afghanistan;
Whereas at least five third-country nationals previously detained with Ryan 
        Corbett have been released and have reported on Ryan's horrific and 
        deteriorating conditions;
Whereas Ryan Corbett's former cellmates who have been subsequently released 
        stated that prisoners at the detention facility must survive on scraps 
        of fatty meat, seldom have access to sunlight, and cannot use the 
        bathroom without permission;
Whereas Ryan Corbett's former cellmates who have been subsequently released 
        stated that, during their captivity, Ryan Corbett was suffering from 
        seizures, fainting, and discolored extremities;
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; and
Whereas the Taliban's pursuit of international legitimacy and recognition is 
        without merit due to the Taliban's continued use of hostages as a 
        political tool, the Taliban's support for terrorism, and the elimination 
        of freedoms for women and girls in Afghanistan: Now, therefore, be it
    Resolved, That the Senate--
            (1) calls on the Taliban to immediately and unconditionally 
        release Ryan Corbett;
            (2) condemns the wrongful detention of Ryan Corbett by the 
        Taliban;
            (3) urges the Taliban to respect Ryan Corbett's fundamental 
        human rights and to provide full, unfettered, and consistent 
        health and welfare visits to Ryan Corbett while he remains in 
        detention;
            (4) urges all United States executive branch officials, 
        including President Joseph Biden, Secretary of State Antony 
        Blinken, National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan, Special 
        Representative for Afghanistan Tom West, and Special 
        Presidential Envoy for Hostage Affairs Roger Carstens, 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 continued use of the wrongful 
        detention of United States citizens and lawful permanent 
        residents for political purposes and demands that the Taliban 
        stop unjustifiably detaining United States nationals for 
        political gain;
            (6) calls for the immediate release of other United States 
        citizens and lawful permanent residents who are wrongfully 
        detained in Afghanistan;
            (7) expresses sympathy for and solidarity with the families 
        of all other United States citizens and lawful permanent 
        residents wrongfully detained abroad; and
            (8) expresses support for the family of Ryan Corbett and 
        the family's commitment to bringing Ryan Corbett home.
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