ROCHESTER, N.Y. — Ryan Corbett is being welcomed home by the community Saturday afternoon. The Dansville native was wrongfully detained by the Taliban for 894 days before his release in mid-January.
Corbett, his wife and three kids lived in Afghanistan for more than 10 years. During their residence, Corbett leads a business, Bloom Afghanistan, to help Afghans start their own businesses. The family fled the country when U.S. troops were withdrawn in 2021. He returned overseas on a 12-month business visa on July 26, 2022, to check in on his company, and was taken by the Taliban without any charges weeks later, on Aug. 10, 2022. His company has since been dissolved.
The 41-year-old was held in a 9x9 basement cell with minimal access to food, water, sunlight and the bathroom. His family was able to speak with him over the phone where they learned of his deteriorating health. Corbett told them he was suffering from significant weight loss, constant ringing in his ears, seizures and fainting spells, among many other illnesses.
His family went to Washington, D.C. more than a dozen times to advocate for his immediate release. Two resolutions, calling for his immediate release, were passed in the House of Representatives and the Senate. Corbett’s wife, Anna, spoke with President Joe Biden once on the phone in January while she and her oldest daughter, Ketsia, were outside of Mar-A-Lago days before President Donald Trump took office, in hopes of receiving a meeting with the then incoming president. The two of them were given a meeting with Trump’s national security advisor.
The family notified the media that Corbett had been released hours after President Trump took office on Jan. 20. Corbett flew into San Antonio, Texas in the early hours of Jan. 22, and has been recovering, reuniting and healing with his family ever since.
His wife and three kids celebrated countless milestones while they were apart, including Anna and Ryan’s 20th wedding anniversary. This year, when they returned to New York, they were able to celebrate their 21st anniversary together in the Adirondacks.
The Dansville community has anticipated Corbett’s homecoming for weeks. Signs have been distributed across town, among many other initiatives led by locals. On Saturday afternoon, the Corbett family of five will be joined by Rep. Claudia Tenney and the community to welcome their husband, father and neighbor home.
His family has demonstrated immense amounts of strength during their journey to reunite, but now, the former-hostage is expected to share the lessons he learned during his nearly 900 days in captivity.
