U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Qatar played a key role in securing the release of George Glezmann, an American citizen who was detained by the Taliban for two and a half years.
Meanwhile, an image has surfaced showing Glezmann near an aircraft alongside former U.S. special envoy for Afghanistan Zalmay Khalilzad, U.S. special presidential envoy for hostage affairs Adam Boehler, and Qatari officials.
The photo, taken on the tarmac, captures a moment of relief as Glezmann, carrying a backpack, poses with Khalilzad, who is seen giving a thumbs-up, signaling the successful completion of the diplomatic effort.
“Today, after two and a half years of captivity in Afghanistan, Delta Airlines mechanic George Glezmann is on his way to be reunited with his wife, Aleksandra,” Rubio said in a statement released by the State Department.
Khalilzad, who played a central role in U.S.-Taliban negotiations, described Glezmann’s release as a significant diplomatic achievement.
“Today is a good day,” Khalilzad wrote on social media. “We succeeded in obtaining the release of an American citizen, George Glezmann, after two years in detention in Kabul. The Taliban government agreed to free him as a goodwill gesture to President Trump and the American people.”
Khalilzad also noted that President Donald Trump has prioritized the release of Americans held abroad, and he expressed honor in assisting in this effort.
Glezmann, a Delta Airlines mechanic, was detained by Taliban intelligence in December 2022 while traveling in Afghanistan. His release follows a previous prisoner exchange in which two other Americans, Ryan Corbett and William McKenty, were freed in January in exchange for Khan Mohammed, an Afghan citizen imprisoned in the U.S. since 2008.
The Taliban have not publicly commented on the reasons for Glezmann’s detention or the terms of his release.
According to the U.S. State Department, at least two other American citizens, Mahmood Shah Habibi and another unnamed individual, remain in Taliban custody.
Habibi, an Afghan-American businessman and former aviation official, disappeared in 2022, and while the Taliban have denied holding him, reports suggest he remains in their custody.
