MEMPHIS, Tenn. — A University of Memphis alumnus and grandfather of six was among 10 more Americans freed from Kuwait this week.
In 2022, Tony Holden was working as an HVAC technician for a U.S.-based defense contractor at Camp Arifjan U.S. Army Base when his family said he was arrested on fabricated drug charges.
The Memphis native returned to the United States on Wednesday and, in a video circulating online, he thanked President Donald Trump for bringing him home.
“I wanted you to be able to meditate on how you’ve affected, personally, lives and the difference that you’ve made,” Holden said. “I give all the grace and honor to God. He uses instruments, and there have been a lot of people behind the scenes who have done a great job.”
According to a website set up to raise awareness about his case, Holden was approached by two men who were so violent he thought he was being kidnapped.
Family members said the corrupt officers who were after bonuses beat Holden and trashed his apartment looking for drugs. They said the men also took Holden, his wife, and his then 3-year-old daughter into the Kuwaiti desert and physically threatened them and eventually coerced Holden into signing a written confession in Arabic to protect his family.
His family said even though they never found any drugs and Holden’s drug test came back negative, he was charged with drug possession, drug trafficking, and attempting to flee the country.
They said the trial judge believed the police report was fabricated, but Holden was still sentenced to five years in prison. He was detained for more than 900 days.
Since March, Kuwait has pardoned 23 Americans as part of a goodwill gesture by a U.S. ally.
In a post on social media, Sebastian Gorka, deputy assistant to the president, said 47 hostages had been released in 100 days thanks to Trump.
Holden’s family members are celebrating his release and say they never gave up hope he would be released.