An American citizen who was abducted over two years ago while traveling as a tourist in Afghanistan has been released by the Taliban in a deal brokered with the help of Qatari negotiators, the U.S. State Department confirmed Thursday.
George Glezmann, an airline mechanic from Atlanta, is the third American detainee freed by the Taliban since January. He was taken by the Taliban’s intelligence services in December 2022 and later designated by the U.S. government as wrongfully detained the following year.
In a statement, Secretary of State Marco Rubio confirmed that Glezmann was en route to the United States to reunite with his wife, Aleksandra, and praised Qatar for its steadfast commitment and diplomatic efforts that he credited for securing the release.
Rubio called Glezmann’s release a positive and constructive step while emphasizing that other Americans remain detained in Afghanistan. He reiterated that President Trump will continue working to secure the freedom of all Americans unjustly held abroad.
Glezmann was being escorted to the United States through Doha, Qatar’s capital, by Adam Boehler, a key figure in hostage negotiations for the Trump administration. The Taliban disclosed earlier Thursday that Boehler had held discussions with a delegation, including Afghan Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi, regarding hostage issues.
The release of Glezmann, who is in his mid-60s, aligns with the Taliban’s effort to portray an ongoing normalization of diplomatic relations with the United States following the chaotic U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan in 2021. Despite this, most countries still do not officially recognize Taliban rule.
His release follows a separate prisoner exchange in January, negotiated in the final days of the Biden administration. That deal, also mediated by Qatari officials, secured the freedom of Ryan Corbett and William McKenty in exchange for Khan Mohammed, a detainee convicted under U.S. narco-terrorism laws and serving two life sentences.
Unlike that exchange, Glezmann’s release did not involve any U.S. prisoner swap, according to an official familiar with the negotiations. The gesture was reportedly made as a goodwill move by the Taliban.
Prior to leaving office, President Joe Biden considered an earlier proposal involving Glezmann’s release in exchange for Muhammad Rahim, one of the few remaining detainees at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. However, Biden declined the trade unless the Taliban also released Mahmood Habibi, an Afghan-American businessman who disappeared in 2022.
The FBI and Habibi’s family believe he was detained by Taliban forces, though the Taliban has denied holding him. On Thursday, Habibi’s family insisted that overwhelming evidence proves he was arrested after his home was raided by Taliban security personnel.
Ahmad Habibi, Mahmood’s brother, said in a statement that the Trump administration must remain firm in demanding his brother’s release as a condition for diplomatic progress.
He said there is every reason to believe that Mahmood is alive and in Taliban custody, despite their repeated denials. He described his brother as an innocent man who has been separated from his wife, young daughter, and elderly parents for 953 days.
With several Americans still in Taliban custody, the latest release fuels speculation about future U.S. hostage negotiations and broader diplomatic engagement with Afghanistan’s ruling regime.
Taliban releases American hostage, U.S. hostage negotiations, Trump administration foreign policy, Qatar diplomatic efforts, U.S.-Afghanistan relations, Taliban prisoner exchanges, Afghanistan hostage crisis, American detainees abroad.
The Taliban has released an American citizen abducted over two years ago in Afghanistan following diplomatic efforts involving Qatar and the Trump administration. The move raises questions about U.S. negotiations for other detained Americans.
