American freed by Taliban in Afghanistan after more than two years under arrest

An American who was held by the Taliban in Afghanistan for more than two years was released Thursday at the end of a visit by senior U.S. officials to the Taliban government in Kabul.

George Glezmann, a former aircraft mechanic, is "on his way home to be reunited with his wife Aleksandra," Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced in a statement from X, praising Qatar's role in the release.

Rubio also called Glezmann's release a "positive and constructive step," but recalled in his post that "other Americans" are still being held in Afghanistan, without identifying them.

Negotiations in Kabul

The American was released after negotiations between Trump's special hostage envoy, Adam Boehler, Taliban officials and Qatari officials.

Boehler met earlier Thursday with Taliban Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi, in the company of former U.S. envoy for Afghanistan, Zalmay Khalilzad.

"Today is a good day," Khalilzad wrote on X. "The Taliban government agreed to free [Glezmann] as a goodwill gesture to [President Trump] and the American people," he said.

According to AFP, Glezmann, who was not released as part of a wider prisoner exchange, will first pass through Qatar, and Boehler will accompany him on the plane.

Two other Americans detained in Afghanistan were released in January in exchange for an Afghan fighter convicted of narcoterrorism in the United States.

Afghanistan-US relations

Following the reelection of Donald Trump, the government in Kabul stated that it looked forward to a "new chapter" in Afghanistan-U.S. relations. During his first term, Trump signed a peace agreement with the Taliban.

No country in the world has officially recognized the Taliban government, but several countries, including Pakistan, Russia, China, Turkey, the United Arab Emirates and Iran, kept their embassies open in Kabul after its return to power in 2021.

The Qatari Foreign Ministry has facilitated talks between the Taliban and the United States since former President Joe Biden withdrew U.S. forces and diplomats from Afghanistan, also in August 2021.

Former Secretary of State Antony Blinken testified before Congress in 2023 that at least 175 Americans remain stranded in Afghanistan, although he did not disclose how many were being unjustly detained by the Taliban.