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Attorneys for American imprisoned by Taliban file urgent petitions with U.N.
Attorneys for Ryan Corbett, an American who has been imprisoned without charge by the Taliban in Afghanistan since August 2022, filed urgent petitions on Thursday with the United Nations in the latest push for his release.
The petitions include testimonies from two recently released, non-American detainees who described Corbett’s deteriorating mental and physical condition as well as descriptions of torture and other cruel and degrading treatment by the Taliban.
Filed before the U.N. Special Rapporteur on Torture and the U.N. Working Group for Arbitrary Detention, the petitions said the individuals who were jailed with Corbett expressed concerns that the 40-year-old father of three could die soon, due to medical problems, maltreatment or self-harm.
The former detainees described Taliban holders’ threats of physical violence against Corbett, who they said was forced to listen to the torture of other prisoners in a cell where blood was visible on the walls.
The individuals also said Corbett was severely malnourished and suffered from blackouts and fainting episodes, was rarely allowed to shower or go to the bathroom, and was being held in a basement cell with almost no sunlight or exercise.
Courtesy Corbett family)
Suhail Saheen, the head of the Taliban’s political office in Qatar, told CBS News he had no information about the claims of torture. “As per my information, he has access to doctors and telephonic conversations with his family on regular basis. Torture is unlawful and prohibited by the Islamic Emirate,” he said.
If the U.N. arms take up the petitions, they can open investigations and issue non-binding legal opinions declaring an individual wrongfully detained and calling for their release.
“Today’s filings are an urgent response to the horrific conditions in which Ryan has been suffering for over 20 months. It would be hard to imagine conditions that would pose a greater immediate threat to the life of a detainee,” said Kate Gibson, one of the family’s attorneys, in a statement.
Anna Corbett, Ryan’s wife, said in a statement that her husband’s situation was “rapidly worsening,” and that she and her children were “concerned that the President is not focusing on bringing him home before it is too late.”
“I have hardly received communication from the White House although I continue to ask for meetings with President Biden and [National Security Advisor] Jake Sullivan. These requests are left unanswered,” she said, noting she did recently meet with Deputy Secretary of State Kurt Campbell.
“The United States is concerned about the well-being of Americans detained in Afghanistan and actively working for their release,” a State Department spokesperson told CBS News.
The White House and United States Mission to the United Nations did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
In previous interviews with CBS News’ Margaret Brennan, Anna said she had only had 5 phone calls with Ryan in the past 20 months. In what she called a “disturbing” call in March, Anna said Ryan “exhibited a significantly deteriorated mental state,” and that he was starting to believe what he was told by his captors — that he was forgotten by his country.
Anna Corbett attended the president’s State of the Union address in March to raise awareness of her husband’s case. Earlier this month, the Senate passed a resolution calling for Ryan Corbett’s release before his 41st birthday.
Mukhtar Ahmed contributed to this report.
NEW YORK — Former New York Gov. David Paterson and his stepson were attacked in New York City on Friday night, authorities said.
The incident occurred just before 9 p.m. on Second Avenue near East 96th Street on the Upper East Side, according to the New York City Police Department.
Police said officers were sent to the scene after an assault was reported. When officers arrived, police say they found a 20-year-old man suffering from facial injuries and a 70-year-old man who had head pain. Both victims were taken to a local hospital in stable condition.
In a statement, a spokesperson for the former governor said the two were attacked while “taking a walk around the block near their home by some individuals that had a previous interaction with his stepson.”
The spokesperson said that they were injured “but were able to fight off their attackers.”
Both were taken to Cornell Hospital “as a precaution,” he added.
Police said no arrests have been made and the investigation is ongoing.
The 70-year-old Paterson, a Democrat, served as governor from 2008 to 2010, stepping into the post after the resignation of Eliot Spitzer following his prostitution scandal. He made history at the time as the state’s first-ever Black and legally blind governor.
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A 17-year-old boy was critically injured and a person is in custody after a gunman opened fire on a SEPTA bus in North Philadelphia Friday evening, police said.
At around 6:15 p.m., Philadelphia police were notified about a shooting on a SEPTA bus traveling on Allegheny Avenue near 3rd and 4th streets in North Philadelphia, Inspector D F Pace told CBS News Philadelphia.
There were an estimated 30 people on the bus at the time of the shooting, Pace said, but only the 17-year-old boy was believed to have been shot. Investigators said they believe it was a targeted attack on the teenager and that he was shot in the back of the bus at close range.
According to Pace, the SEPTA bus driver alerted a control center about the shooting, which then relayed the message to Philadelphia police, who responded to the scene shortly.
Officers arrived at the scene and found at least one spent shell casing and blood on the bus, but no shooting victim, Pace said. Investigators later discovered the 17-year-old had been taken to Temple University Hospital where he is said to be in critical condition, according to police.
CBS Philadelphia
Through their preliminary investigation, police learned those involved in the SEPTA shooting may have fled in a silver-colored Kia.
Authorities then found a car matching the description of the Kia speeding in the area and a pursuit began, Pace said. Police got help from a PPD helicopter as they followed the Kia, which ended up crashing at 5th and Greenwood streets in East Mount Airy. Pace said the Kia crashed into a parked car.
The driver of the crashed car ran away but police were still able to take them into custody, Pace said.
Investigators believe there was a second person involved in the shooting who ran from the car before it crashed. Police said they believe this person escaped near Allegheny Avenue and 4th Street, leaving a coat behind.
According to Pace, police also found a gun and a group of spent shell casings believed to be involved in the shooting in the same area.
“It’s very possible that there may have been a shooting inside the bus and also shots fired from outside of the bus toward the bus,” Pace said, “We’re still trying to piece all that together at this time.”
This is an active investigation and police are reviewing surveillance footage from the SEPTA bus.