an American citizen has been# wron Ryan Corbett lived in Afghanistan# for 12 years, where he worked with## local NGOs and advised Afghan small# businesses.
His wife, Anna Corbett,## was in Washington this week meeting with# lawmakers and senior administration officials## to push for her husband's release.# And she sat down with Amna Nawaz.
AMNA NAWAZ: Anna Corbett, welcome to the# "NewsHour."
Thank you for being here.
ANNA CORBETT, Wife of Ryan# Corbett: Thank you for having me.
AMNA NAWAZ: Your h for 17 months.
How are you able# to get news about his condition,## about how he's doing, and what can# you tell us about how he's doing?
ANNA CORBETT: So, I am in contact with# State Department and have weekly calls## and a lot of contact at State Department,# and they give me updates when they can.
I actually was able to speak with Ryan# on Christmas Day.
He called us.
That was## my third call.
And we spoke with him for six# minutes.
Didn't get a lot of news.
It was so## short.
And he expressed just how difficult it# is to be held in a basement cell for so long.
But at least it was good to hear just# a little bit from him.
On that call,## he did mention that the Qataris had visited# him.
And they gave me a picture.
That's all## that I have had so far.
I'm hoping for more of# a readout.
So there's bits and pieces of news,## but it's very sparse and so little for# 17 months.
It's really challenging.
AMNA NAWAZ: They gave you a recent picture of him?
ANNA CORBETT: Yes.
AMNA NAWAZ: ANNA CORBETT: It was awful seeing his# An d the last picture I had seen was# from January of 2023.
And this was## almost a year later.
And he's lost a lot of# weight.
And he looked aged.
He looked really## tired.
And he looked frail.
So, that# was so hard to see for the kids and I. AMNA NAWAZ: Yes, to back it up a little# bit, you and Ryan, you made a home in## Afghanistan from 2010 on.
You moved there from# Minnesota.
Why t ANNA CORBETT: Ryan and I were young,# we were healthy, our kids were little,## and we wanted to make a difference in the# world in a place that had suff So, Ryan became involved in NGO projects,# and then he saw that he would have a bigger## impact on Afghan families by helping# them start their own businesses.
So## that was the purpose of his business.# And so we wanted to make a difference,## and we made a lot of friends.
We loved# Afghanistan, and our kids were little.
My son was born there, and they# adapted to a new place.
It was## an interesting life, for sure, but we# were thankful for the opportunities.
AMNA NAWAZ: You lived there for 12 years.
You did# evacuate when the U.S. withdrew in August of 2021.
ANNA CORBETT: Right.
even as U.S. officials were telling# Americans not to go.
Why did he AN NA CORBETT: His business was still# running.
His staff was counting on him,## and his visa was running out.
So he thought, well,## let me go see if I can try to get back# in and pay my staff, check on the wo So he returned in January of# 2022, and it was a very short## trip.
Everything went really smoothly.# He was given a warm welcome.
They said,## we need your kind of business# in the country.
Keep it going.
So, then, in August of 2022, he# wanted to return, pay his staff,## do some training, and that's when he ended up# being detained.
So it was just really shocking,## because it was opposite of what we were expecting.
AMNA NAWAZ: I mean, did you ever think that that# woul knowing the relationships he had on# the grounds?
Was this ever a concern?
ANNA CORBETT: No.
No.
And Ryan knew# the language.
We had lived there.## We had friends.
We just really didn't# expect that that would happen to h AMNA NAWAZ: Anna, this is now your# eighth trip to Washington, D.C.
I know## lawmakers have introduced a bipartisan# resolution calling for Ryan's Bu t you have met with the secretary# of state.
You have met with the deputy## national security adviser.
What are they# telling you are ANNA CORBETT: They're all telling me# they're working really hard towards## his release.And I appreciate State# Department, congressmen, th e Hill and at the White House.
All of them# are expressing how much they want Ryan home.
But yet I'm 17 months in, eight trips# to Washington, D.C., with three children## alone.
And I'm really concerned that, is# this really being prioritized or not?
I## have a meeting with Jake Sullivan, and# I'm really looking forward to talking## with him and hearing where things are at,# because the situation is dire for Ryan.
He's getting worse.
And the winters are really# difficult in Afghanistan.
And the reports I## have heard from other Western prisoners who# were held with him are just really scary,## with talking about fainting# and discolored extremities.## He's not doing well.
And I'm really# worried about the winter conditions.
Last I heard, there was no heat.
He's# in a basement cell.
And I really n the government to prioritize and see this as# very urgent that he needs to be brought home.
AMNA NAWAZ: You and Ryan have three kids.# How are they coping with all of this?
ANNA CORBETT: It's really tough.
I'm so proud## of them.
I know Ryan would be Bu t it's so hard for them to focus# on their studies.
My daughter's a## senior in high school.
And I'm trying# to teach my daughter to drive.
I mean,## that's just really challenging# even when life is going well.
(LAUGHTER) AN AMNA NAWAZ: If you could get a message to# Ryan today, what would you want him to know?
ANNA CORBETT: Want him to know I'm# going to fight for him to bring him## back home.
I'm going to do everything# I can to bring him back home.
We him.
We miss him like crazy.
And# we're really worried about him.
AMNA NAWAZ: Anna Corbett, we thank# you so much for being here today.
ANNA CORBETT: Thank you so much for having me.