A US citizen who was kidnapped by the Taliban has been freed after spending two years in captivity, as announced by the US Department of State.
The release of George Glezmann on Thursday, who was taken while on a tourist trip in Afghanistan in December 2022, is the third instance of a US detainee being released by the Taliban since January.
In a statement, Secretary of State Marco Rubio expressed that Glezmann’s release signifies a “positive and constructive step forward.”
He also extended gratitude to Qatar for their crucial role in facilitating the release.
“Today, after enduring two and a half years of confinement in Afghanistan, Delta Airlines mechanic George Glezmann is en route to reuniting with his wife, Aleksandra,” Rubio stated.
“George joins American citizens Ryan Corbett and William McKenty, who were freed from Afghanistan on the evening of President Trump’s inauguration and reunited with their families.”
However, it is noted that Corbett and McKenty were allowed to leave under an agreement reached during the time of US President Joe Biden’s administration, with mediation from Qatar.
The Taliban has previously referred to the release of US detainees as part of their global “normalisation” endeavors.
Despite the Taliban’s swift takeover of Afghanistan in August 2021, they remain isolated internationally: No country has formally recognized the Taliban-led government, although several countries still maintain diplomatic missions within the country.
Afghanistan’s fall came as the Biden administration oversaw a withdrawal plan established by the previous US President Donald Trump.
The Republican leader negotiated with the Taliban in 2020 to conclude the conflict in Afghanistan and adhered to a 14-month timeline for the withdrawal of US troops and allied forces.
The deal caused controversy for sidelining the Western-backed Afghan government, which crumbled amid the disordered US departure from the country in 2021.
Unlike the detainee release agreement reached under Biden’s administration with the Taliban, Glezmann’s release from Taliban custody did not involve a prisoner exchange with the US, as told by an official briefed on the issue to The Associated Press.
The official characterized the action as a gesture of goodwill.
Additional US Citizens in Captivity
The Trump administration has not laid out a clear strategy on how it will manage relations with the Taliban government in the president’s second term.
Nonetheless, Trump has consistently criticized how the Biden administration handled the withdrawal from Afghanistan.
A bombing at Kabul’s airport in the final days of the withdrawal resulted in the deaths of at least 170 Afghan civilians attempting to flee the country, along with 13 US troops.
Trump frequently mentioned the “Abbey Gate” bombing as he campaigned for reelection in 2024, labeling it as “the most humiliating day in our nation’s history.”
The Republican leader has repeatedly asserted that the withdrawal would have been more organized under his leadership, despite cutting foreign aid and refugee programs that assist Afghans upon returning to office.
Conversely, the Biden administration largely attributed the prior Trump administration for leaving them unprepared to meet the withdrawal deadline.
Critics also highlight the predicament of hundreds of thousands of Afghan citizens who worked for US forces and on US-backed initiatives, who still remain in Afghanistan facing potential retribution from the Taliban.
Others find themselves in vulnerable conditions in refugee camps, including those in neighboring Pakistan.
Approximately 10,000 Afghans approved to relocate to the US were left stranded after Trump halted the refugee program in January.
Advocacy groups have appealed to the Trump administration to reverse course and ensure the safe passage of these refugees.
“President Trump campaigned heavily on issues related to Afghanistan, particularly criticizing the withdrawal process,” Shawn VanDiver, the founder of #AfghanEvac, an organization supporting Afghan resettlement, informed Al Jazeera last month.
“Therefore, I find it hard to believe that he wouldn’t try to assist our allies. I hope this is just a misunderstanding.”
In his statement on Thursday, Rubio acknowledged that other US citizens are still being held by the Taliban, including Afghan American businessman Mahmood Habibi. The Taliban has refuted these claims.
“President Trump will persist in his efforts to secure the release of ALL Americans unjustly detained worldwide,” Rubio declared.
