Tenney announces State of Union guest: wife of Dansville man detained in Afghanistan

Press Release, Congresswoman Claudia Tenney

WASHINGTON, DC – Congresswoman Claudia Tenney (NY-24) today highlighted her 2024 State of the Union guest, Western New Yorker, Anna Corbett.

Ryan Corbett, a husband, father, and Western New Yorker has been wrongfully detained by the Taliban since August 10, 2022. Anna has been tirelessly fighting for her husband’s release, who is being held in a basement cell without regular access to a bathroom, sunlight, or medical care. Other Westerners who have been released from the prison where Ryan is being held report that he is in deteriorating health.

Since meeting with the Corbett family and hearing their story, Congresswoman Tenney has advocated for Ryan’s release and well-being. This includes working to get Ryan officially designated as a wrongful detainee by the U.S. Department of State on October 10, 2023, and introducing H.Res. 965, a resolution calling for the immediate release of Ryan, which has 70 bipartisan co-sponsors.

“Anna Corbett has been bravely advocating for Ryan’s release for nearly 600 days, sharing her family’s story and bringing attention to her husband’s unjust detention and the brutal conditions of his captivity,” said Congresswoman Tenney. “I am pleased to have Anna as my State of the Union guest, and hope that her presence will increase attention to Ryan’s case and the urgency to bring Ryan home to his family.”

“This is my ninth trip to D.C. since this nightmare began,” said Anna Corbett. “And while I am weary – the trauma of the daily uncertainties that my teen-age children and I face daily is exhausting – I know that I cannot give up, or Ryan may never make it home alive. I’m grateful to Congresswoman Tenney for her ongoing efforts to help bring Ryan home before it’s too late.”

Members of Congress are allowed to invite one guest to join them for the address, which will take place on Thursday, March 7th, at 9 p.m.