After 20 months of being held hostage by the Taliban, family of man with ties to Louisville says he's 'losing hope'

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- It's been 594 days since a man with ties to Louisville was wrongfully detained by the Taliban. And just this week, his wife and kids received a terrifying phone call from him, increasing their fears.

Ryan Corbett hasn't seen his family in nearly 20 months. His kids are missing their dad.

"This is really tough for them,' his wife, Anna, said. "They love their dad. He's always been incredible, very involved with them, and it's tough for them to see him declining and to be scared that he's not coming home."

Corbett moved to Afghanistan with his wife Anna and their kids in 2010, starting a company to help Afghans start their own small businesses. After rebuilding their lives and spending years there, Kabul fell to the Taliban. A worldwide story in 2021, the Corbetts had to flee the country with thousands of others.

Not wanting to leave the people he's helped behind, Corbett went back, and his visa was approved the following year. It was on a trip in August 2022 that he was kidnapped by the Taliban.

He is currently living in a 9-foot square cell. He isn't getting proper nutrition, is only getting outside once a month and has only a handful or phone calls with his family since being detained. Last month, they found out Corbett is having seizures and fainting because of the conditions. Most recently, he had a very high fever.

Back home in New York, his children are experiencing milestones without their dad.

"She said the other day, 'I don't think Papa's gonna be home for my graduation,'" Anna Corbett said. "We cried together and we're worried about that. It's really a tough time for the kids."

The Taliban has never given a reason for the kidnapping, and Corbett's family was told to keep quiet for months.

His family got to talk to him Tuesday, only the fifth time since he was taken. This call, they said, was different. They could hear the despair in his voice.

"It was clear to me — also to the kids, who were with me on the call — that his mental health is also deteriorating and he's losing hope," Anna Corbett said. "That is really scary to hear, and I am panicking after that call. Honestly, I'm very concerned because that combination is just very scary, and we want him back home."

Last month, the House Committee on Foreign Affairs met to discuss a resolution to get him home. Anna Corbett testified before the same committee in November, pleading for their help. After discussion, the committee unanimously recommended the resolution to the full House.

"This will send a strong message to the Taliban that America 3 both Republicans and Democrats alike — will not tolerate illegitimate detention of American citizens, and our message is clear," Texas Rep. Michael McCaul, R-10, said during the meeting. "Congress will not rest until Ryan and every American citizen wrongfully detained is brought home."

Anna Corbett is on the verge of losing hope, too.

"I don't understand that this administration has said what a high priority it is to bring U.S. citizens home," she said. "I've asked to meet with the president over and over. I see him making time for the Gaza hostage families and I'm really happy for them. But I also feel that Ryan's case is extremely important and wonder why he's not making time to meet with me after almost 600 days."

Earlier this month, Rep. Morgan McGarvey, D-Louisville, met with Corbett's family. A spokesperson for McGarvey said Wednesday they're working with the State Department to request updates on Corbett's condition.

"Our office is doing everything we can to support Ryan's family and will continue working with the State Department to bring Ryan home," his office said.

To read about the resolution, click here. To learn more about Ryan's story, click here.

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