ROCHESTER, N.Y. — For 887 days, Livingston County native Ryan Corbett has been wrongfully detained by the Taliban. He’s been living in a nine-by-nine basement cell with little access to food, water and sunlight. Since his detention, he says he’s had constant ringing in his ears, dental issues, fainting spells and seizures, among many other illnesses.
His family heard from him Sunday around 5:30 a.m. and learned he has finally been able to put on a little weight and he’d been given a bit more access to sunlight.
“He has improved, which is good," his wife, Anna Corbett, explained. "He's gained a little bit of weight. I'm grateful for that. He has a little bit more sunlight access as well, but he is continuing to have the ringing in his ears, headaches [and] dental issues. It’s a terrible situation and his health is declining. And, as I’ve said before, he’s told me I wouldn’t recognize him. He’s not well, and it’s just very scary to have him in these circumstances."
It’s been an uphill battle for Corbett’s wife, three children and other loved ones advocating for his immediate release. On Friday, Jan. 10, his wife and their oldest daughter, Ketsia traveled to Mar-a-Lago in hopes of getting a meeting with President-elect Donald Trump to discuss how to get their husband and father home safely upon Trump’s entrance to office. They did not have a meeting scheduled upon their arrival to the Sunshine State. Corbett was encouraged to hear of their travels when they spoke on the phone this weekend.
“On Friday, as I was traveling down to Florida, I heard from the White House that I would have a call with President Biden," his wife said. "And that happened on Sunday. And I also put in the request through my congresswoman, Claudia Tenney, and many others, that I would like to meet directly with President Trump."
Sunday was a day they’d been waiting for after months of asking. For the first time, they spoke with Biden, but disappointment remained after the half an hour-long call was over.
“I had the call with President Biden, just 30 minutes," she said. "And he was very kind and empathetic, but it was clear from the call that he would not be bringing Ryan home. There is a deal. There's a way forward to bring Ryan and George home, and he is not willing to take that. George Glezmann has been held with Ryan for over a year now, and his family has gone public. And he is in the same cell with Ryan and his wife has been advocating as well for his release. And they are being treated the same at every step. And so we are advocating for each other.”
According to the Associated Press, Biden’s administration presented a deal to release Corbett, Glezmann and another U.S. citizen in exchange for one of the remanned detainees at Guantanamo Bay. The Taliban has denied that it holds that third citizen, which reports say has complicated negotiations.
“It was disappointing after asking for this meeting for so long to just have a call with him," she said. "Honestly, I don't have all the details of the deal on the table. It's not a perfect deal. It's not easy. But there is a way forward and he is not willing to take it. And it seems like Afghanistan might be something they don't want to touch. And it's a sensitive subject. They've brought many others home, and it doesn't make sense to me that they are not bringing Ryan and George home. It's impacted our family. Personally, for me to just keep packing up, taking trips to D.C. within hours. I've taken 16 trips, scramble to get rides for the kids, to sports practices, missing games. And obviously, Ryan has missed so much and now has not been able to teach his daughter to drive and see his daughter go to college and do amazingly well there. And see Caleb play basketball and those kinds of opportunities. And so to hear that the president is not willing to do that was extremely disappointing and sad.”
Come Inauguration Day, Trump’s administration will take over negotiation efforts. Rep. Claudia Tenney (NY-24) joined both of them to meet with Trump’s incoming national security advisor, who was sent by the president-elect.
“I was extremely encouraged by the hour-plus that we had with him," she said. "He listened to the experience we've had. He listened to our details and was already briefed on the situation and showed deep concern and willingness to help bring Ryan home. It was very encouraging to have that meeting with him, and I feel that my trip was worthwhile and having met with the incoming national security advisor, I felt that things were in a good place for me to come back home to. We talked about a lot of different things, and it was clear that our family matters. And the contrast with my previous experience was massive. It took me 16 months to get that first meeting with National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan. And here, within 48 hours in Florida, I had over an hour with him. It was amazing, and he was very caring and we were able to update him on everything that has transpired till now. So it was a very good meeting.”
"It has been over 880 days since the Taliban unlawfully detained Ryan Corbett in Afghanistan, and it wasn't until this weekend, when Anna stood at President Trump's doorstep, that President Biden finally made the time to speak with the Corbett family," Tenney said in a statement. "The Corbett family and I met with incoming Trump National Security Advisor Mike Waltz for over an hour to discuss the urgent need to bring Ryan home to his family. The Trump administration has not yet taken office, yet they are already working diligently to secure Ryan's release.”
“I'm feeling very hopeful. It's great to know President Trump is aware of our family," his wife said. "He is tough and toughness is necessary in this situation. And he's a dealmaker and it's going to take a tough deal. I don't know what it's going to look like, but I believe that he is going to move this forward and work to bring Ryan home. And I’m very encouraged by that and hopeful."
The Corbetts are feeling hopeful with the incoming administration to get Ryan home, but two and a half years of advocating for his release has been worth it, yet difficult on their family.
“We are working very hard to just take one day at a time," she said. "That's all we can see our way through. That's what Ryan sees his way through, and that's what our family can do. And we try to make the best of each day and celebrate these milestones the best we can, even though we’re not together, but it’s taking a toll. We’re exhausted, and I feel like I’m just running on fumes here from one high and low on this roller coaster of uncertainty and living in this type of uncertainty for such long periods of time. It’s very challenging."
Corbett shared her gratitude for her team and loved ones supporting her while making difficult decisions. She’s hoping everyone sees the quality man Ryan is and will advocate for his safe return home, too. He’s a 41-year-old humanitarian, and father of three, who was on a 12-month business visit to visit his company in Afghanistan when he was taken. There have been no official charges against him.