WASHINGTON — Drue Corbett of Louisville said his son Ryan’s life depends on the Taliban releasing him.

“It is time to stop and prioritize an American that is suffering and in the process of dying, in my opinion," he said. "You can't live this way in a Taliban jail.”

Ryan lived in Afghanistan until the Taliban takeover and was detained when he returned in 2022 to tend to his business there, his father said. 

That was more than 500 days ago.

His family said he’s in a 9 by 9-foot cell in a basement with no windows, and he’s experiencing seizures and fainting.

Ryan's wife and their children are in New York, and the family said she’s only had a few short phone calls with him since his detention began.

Ryan Corbett is seen here with his family. Corbett lived in Afghanistan until the Taliban takeover, and was detained when he returned in 2022. (Corbett Family)

Drue Corbett has reached out to dozens of members of Congress, including Rep. Morgan McGarvey, D-Louisville, seeking their help.

“When you get that call, it sends chills down your spine,” McGarvey said Wednesday. “My staff immediately alerted me, and I personally called Drue and said, ‘I can't imagine what you're going through as a father. And as a dad myself, we're going to do everything we can to bring your son home.'”

McGarvey is part of a bipartisan group of lawmakers behind a House resolution demanding Ryan Corbett’s release.

They are working with the State Department and a representative from the White House, he said.

Drue Corbett said he is grateful for the Biden administration’s efforts but wants to see more urgency before it’s too late.  

“I fear that he is losing his life,” he said. “They're killing him slowly over a year and a half, and it has to end.”