The Taliban has released an American citizen who had been detained in Afghanistan for over two years, following high-level negotiations between U.S. hostage envoy Adam Boehler and Taliban officials in Kabul.
George Glezmann, who was arrested in 2022 while visiting Kabul as a tourist, was freed on Thursday and departed Afghanistan on a Qatari aircraft bound for Qatar. He is expected to continue his journey to the United States alongside Boehler, according to a source familiar with the negotiations.
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio confirmed Glezmann’s release in an official statement. The breakthrough came after direct discussions between Boehler and Afghanistan’s foreign minister, Amir Khan Muttaqi, marking the highest-level engagement between the U.S. and the Taliban since President Donald Trump took office.
A statement from Afghanistan’s foreign ministry detailed that the talks covered multiple issues, including U.S.-Afghanistan relations, the release of prisoners, and consular services for Afghans in the United States. Former U.S. special representative to Afghanistan Zalmay Khalilzad also attended the meeting.
Qatar, which represents U.S. diplomatic interests in Taliban-controlled Afghanistan, played a key role in securing Glezmann’s release. A Qatari government statement confirmed its involvement, stating that weeks of negotiations led to the breakthrough.
The Taliban described Glezmann’s release as a “goodwill gesture” aimed at fostering engagement with the United States “on the basis of mutual respect and interests.” Sources indicate that the release was not part of a prisoner exchange deal involving Afghan detainees held by the U.S.