Former Afghanistan hostage Joshua Boyle to be tried on assault charges

A Canadian man taken hostage in Afghanistan is scheduled to appear in an Ontario court today to face trial on several assault charges.

Joshua Boyle and his American wife, Caitlan Coleman, were captured in 2012 by a Taliban-linked group while on a backpacking trip.

The couple was freed by Pakistani forces in October 2017, along with the three children they had while in captivity.

Boyle was arrested two months later by Ottawa police and charged with offences including assault, sexual assault, unlawful confinement and causing someone to take a noxious substance.

The charges relate to two alleged victims, whose identities are being protected under a court-ordered publication ban.

Boyle was released from jail last June with strict bail conditions which included an electronic bracelet to track his movements.