UN Expert Urges Taliban to Provide Medical Treatment to Detained US National Ryan Corbett

“The Taliban must provide Ryan Corbett with medical treatment in a civilian hospital without delay,” stated Alice Jill Edwards, the UN Special Rapporteur on torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment.

A United Nations expert has urgently called on the Taliban to provide immediate medical treatment for detained United States national Ryan Corbett, whose health is rapidly deteriorating. The aid worker has not been charged with any crime.

“The Taliban must provide Ryan Corbett with medical treatment in a civilian hospital without delay,” stated Alice Jill Edwards, the UN Special Rapporteur on torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment.

Edwards highlighted the inadequate conditions of Corbett’s detention, which fall significantly below international standards and have severely impacted his physical and mental health. “Without adequate medical care, he is at risk of irreparable harm or even death,” she warned.

Reports indicate that Corbett has been confined in tiny cells with no sunlight, sometimes underground, locked for 24 hours a day. He is only allowed short, guarded bathroom visits and has endured solitary confinement for several months. Corbett has no access to effective legal assistance and has had very limited phone contact with his family.

Corbett has developed numerous medical issues, including numbness in his feet, preventing him from sleeping, ringing in his ears, and severe weight loss. His mental health has also been severely impacted, with repeated expressions of suicidal thoughts and self-harm intentions.

Having lived and worked in Afghanistan since 2010, Corbett managed humanitarian projects for various non-governmental organizations. He left Afghanistan in August 2021 but was arrested upon his return a year later, intending to resume his humanitarian work. Since his arrest, Corbett has been held in multiple detention facilities, currently believed to be in Kabul.

“Persons deprived of liberty must always be treated humanely,” Edwards asserted. She emphasized that the conditions and treatment of Corbett, along with many other detainees, violate the absolute prohibition of torture and other cruel, inhuman, or degrading treatment or punishment. Edwards noted that being held without charge or due process exacerbates Corbett’s health issues and poses an immediate and long-term threat to his life.

“If it is determined that he is being arbitrarily deprived of liberty or detained in a manner inconsistent with international human rights standards, he should be released unconditionally and without delay,” Edwards insisted.

Other UN human rights experts have endorsed Edwards’ call and have raised the case directly with the Taliban in Afghanistan. They pledge to continue monitoring the situation closely.