A US citizen who was kidnapped by the Taliban has been freed after two years of captivity, as confirmed by the US Department of State.
The release of George Glezmann on Thursday marks his return, having been abducted while touring Afghanistan in December 2022. This event is significant as it is the third instance this year where a US detainee has been liberated by the Taliban since January.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio issued a statement calling Glezmann’s release a “positive and constructive step.”
He also expressed gratitude to Qatar for playing a crucial role in facilitating the release.
“Today, after two and a half years in captivity in Afghanistan, Delta Airlines mechanic George Glezmann is on his way to reunite with his wife, Aleksandra,” Rubio said.
“George joins Americans Ryan Corbett and William McKenty, who were released from Afghanistan on the night of President Trump’s inauguration and returned home to their families.”
However, Corbett and McKenty’s releases were part of an agreement made during President Joe Biden’s administration and also involved negotiations brokered by Qatar.
The Taliban has previously referred to the release of US detainees as part of its global “normalization” initiative.
The group continues to be viewed as an international pariah since its rapid takeover of Afghanistan in August 2021, with no nation officially recognizing the Taliban government, although several countries maintain diplomatic facilities within the country.
The takeover in Afghanistan occurred as the Biden administration managed a withdrawal aligned with the terms negotiated by former President Donald Trump.
Trump negotiated a deal with the Taliban in 2020 to conclude the war in Afghanistan, agreeing to a 14-month timeline for US troop withdrawal.
This agreement stirred controversy for not involving the Western-backed Afghan government, which fell during the chaotic US exit from the country in 2021.
Unlike the detainee release deal negotiated under Biden, Glezmann’s exit from Taliban custody did not involve a prisoner exchange with the US, as an official informed The Associated Press news agency, describing it as a goodwill gesture.
More US citizens held
The Trump administration has not outlined a distinct policy regarding interactions with the Taliban government during the president’s second term.
Nonetheless, Trump has consistently criticized the Biden administration’s handling of the Afghanistan withdrawal.
A bomb attack at Kabul’s airport during the final days of the withdrawal resulted in the deaths of at least 170 Afghan civilians trying to flee and 13 US soldiers.
Trump often referenced the “Abbey Gate” bombing during his campaign for a second term in 2024, calling it “the most embarrassing day in the history of our country.”
The Republican leader has claimed that the withdrawal would have been more orderly under his leadership, even though he has cut foreign funding and refugee programs that support Afghans since returning to office.
The Biden administration, for its part, has largely attributed the chaotic withdrawal to the groundwork laid by the first Trump administration.
Critics highlight that hundreds of thousands of Afghan nationals who assisted US forces and participated in US-backed initiatives remain in Afghanistan, at risk of Taliban retribution.
Others find themselves in precarious conditions in refugee camps, including those in nearby Pakistan.
Roughly 10,000 Afghans, approved to travel to the US, became stranded after Trump suspended the refugee program in January.
Advocacy groups have urged the Trump administration to reverse its stance and ensure the safe transport of these refugees.
“President Trump focused on various issues concerning Afghanistan, particularly the blunders of the withdrawal,” said Shawn VanDiver, founder of #AfghanEvac, an organization aiding Afghan resettlement, in a conversation with Al Jazeera last month.
“I find it hard to believe he wouldn’t assist our allies after campaigning on these issues. I’m hopeful this is a misstep.”
In his statement on Thursday, Rubio acknowledged that other US citizens remain in Taliban custody, including Afghan American businessman Mahmood Habibi, whom the Taliban has denied holding.
“President Trump will persist in his dedicated efforts to secure the release of ALL Americans unfairly detained across the globe,” Rubio stated.
