What did Mark Frerichs do? US citizen held captive in Afghanistan released following a prisoner swap

Mark Frerichs, an American engineer held captive in Afghanistan for more than two years, was released in exchange for a Taliban member who was held prisoner in the U.S. for 17 years. Mark Frerichs was reportedly abducted from Kabul in January 2020, where he was working under a construction contract for Afghanistan, CNN reported.

Mark Frerichs was swapped at the Kabul airport for Bashir Noorzai, a Taliban leader who was held prisoner in the U.S. for smuggling narcotics into the country and Europe.

According to CNN, Frerichs was held by the Haqqani network, believed to be the most ruthless faction in Afghanistan, responsible for carrying out many bloody wars in the country. A statement released on September 9 by the Biden administration said:

“Today, we have secured the release of Mark Frerichs, and he will soon be home. Mark was taken to Afghanistan in January 2020 and held for 31 months. His release is the culmination of years of tireless work by dedicated public servants across our government and other partner governments, and I want to thank them for all that effort.”

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Mark Frerichs worked as an engineer for a decade in Kabul before the abduction

White House Press Release

Mark Frerichs, 59, the Amerian hostage held prisoner by the Taliban for 31 months, was a navy veteran and a civil engineer from Lombard, Illinois, who worked on construction contracts in Afghanistan for over a decade before being abducted from the streets of Kabul.

According to The New Yorker, Frerichs lived in jobsites in worker housing, where he mostly stayed and worked alongside other Afghans. Frerichs' sister Charlene Cakora told the website that her brother was incredibly proud of his work, which he found immensely gratifying. The civil engineer wanted to help rebuild the country.

Frerichs was reportedly on the way to a job site when he was abducted in 2020. According to CNN, following the prisoner swap, Frerichs' sister, Charlene, who has relentlessly worked to secure her brother's release since his abduction, expressed gratitude to the Biden administration. In a statement, she said:

"I am so happy to hear that my brother is safe and on his way home to us. Our family has prayed for this each day of the more than 31 months he has been a hostage. We never gave up hope that he would survive and come home safely to us."

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Earlier this year, Mark Frerichs pleaded for his freedom in a video obtained by the New Yorker

Mark Frerichs was believed to be the only American hostage held in Afghanistan when the U.S. pulled all the military forces out of Afghanistan in August 2021.

Ever since the Chicago native's abduction, his family and sister have repeatedly appealed to the Biden administration to negotiate a release, but the U.S. government was unable to act without evidence indicating that Frerichs was indeed alive. Earlier this year, The New Yorker received a video of Frerichs being detained by the Taliban, pleading for his freedom.

“I’ve been patiently waiting for my release, I’d like to ask the leadership of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan, please, release me.”

According to CNN, Frerichs appeared to be in good health and is presently in Doha, Qatar.