MAR-A-LAGO, Fla. — U.S. citizen Ryan Corbett has been wrongfully detained in the custody of the Taliban for almost two and a half years but Saturday his family took new action to bring him home.
Spectrum News first spoke to the Corbett family when they decided to speak out about the matter in 2023, but now his wife and daughter have flown from New York to Mar-A-Lago just for the chance to speak to President-elect Donald Trump about bringing him home.
It’s been more than 880 days since Anna Corbett and her three kids last saw Ryan.
The Corbett family lived in Afghanistan from 2010 to 2021 before leaving for Ryan’s hometown of Dansville, New York, but behind them, they left Ryan’s consulting business.
In 2022, with a business visa in hand, Ryan went back to Afghanistan to check on the business and his employees but was arrested and placed in Taliban custody.
His family has been working to get him home ever since.
“I am absolutely desperate to bring him home. I’ve been asking President Biden to meet with me and he has refused,” said Anna Corbett. “He has met with other families and up until now, he has not met with me.”
That is why Anna and her oldest daughter Ketsia traveled more than 1,300 miles to Mar-A-Lago just for the chance of talking to President-elect Donald Trump about bringing her husband home.
“After waiting that long for President Biden, I’m hoping that after a day I can meet with President Trump,” Anna said.
Anna calls Ryan the heartbeat of their family and they say his arrest has taken a toll on the whole family.
“It’s been really hard, and it’s been really sad. I miss him a lot,” Ketsia Corbett said. “I just started college, and I just want him home soon because I miss him so much and he’s hard going through all of these things without him.”
With the help of U.S. Rep. Claudia Tenney, R-N.Y., Anna and Ketsia say they hope to get a meeting with the Trump administration but they know there are no promises.
Until that time comes, they will be standing in limbo in order to get some answers.
“He has not been accused of anything and has been designated now as wrongfully detained,” Anna said. “And he is a patriot. He is a U.S. citizen that deserves to be in his country that he loves. He has done nothing wrong and has simply tried to help people.”
The Corbetts say they have been able to talk to Ryan on the phone with the last call coming on Christmas Day.
While they were glad to know he has gained some weight since they last talked to him, they say his living conditions have left him with constant headaches and ringing in his ears.
“He’s not well, and he’s trying to put on a brave face for us on Christmas Day,” Anna said.
Anna says she has tried to stay strong for her kids, but the weight of Ryan’s absence can sometimes be too much to handle.
“I can’t see my way through tomorrow, honestly. I can barely even see my way through today. But that’s all I need to do is make it to tonight and then go to bed, get up another day and do my best,” she said. “I’m exhausted in every way, but I got to keep going. I’m not going to quit.”
As they wait for the opportunity to speak to the Trump administration, Anna and Ketsia are holding on to one of the most powerful things in the world: hope.
“We love you, keep hanging on and we’re going to continue fighting until you’re home. We miss you and hope you come back soon and we’re fighting for you,” Anna and Ketsia said.
As of Jan. 11, the family did not get a confirmed meeting with the Trump administration, but did have people inside his compound advocating on their behalf.
To learn more about Corbett family’s fight to bring Ryan home, visit their website.
This post was originally published on here
