U.S. contractor illegally detained in Afghanistan, officials say

KABUL— An American contractor was detained illegally for 24 hours in an Afghan prison, beaten, denied more than basic medical help and told he wouldn’t be released unless his company paid $2.4 million, according to three U.S. congressmen and his employer. Contractor David Gordon was released Friday afternoon after the congressmen wrote a letter to U.S. Secretary of State John F. Kerry and after the company’s attorney in Afghanistan appealed to U.S.-led coalition forces. Gordon, of Tamerlane Global Services based in Reston, Va., is in need of medical attention and hopes to return to the U.S. soon, his Kabul-based attorney added. “Justice has not yet been served,” said Rep. Scott Rigell, R-Va....