US citizen released by Taliban after more than two years in detention

A US citizen who the Taliban held for more than two years was released yesterday after weeks of negotiations led by Qatari and US mediators.

George Glezmann, 66, a Delta Airlines mechanic, visited Afghanistan in late 2022 as a tourist. According to his family, he intended to spend five days in the country exploring its history and culture. He was detained by the Taliban's intelligence service on 5 December but was never charged with any crime or offence.

He was not declared wrongfully detained by the Biden administration until nine months later, in September 2023.

According to a resolution that was put forward in July by Democratic Senators Jon Ossoff and Raphael Warnock from Glezmann's home state of Georgia, Glezmann was held in a "9ft by 9ft cell" with other detainees and sometimes held in "solitary confinement and underground for months at a time".  

In the period up until July 2024, Glezmann was not granted any consular visits by Department of State personnel. During his detention, he apparently only had seven phone calls totalling 54 minutes with his family and limited in-person visits with representatives of Qatar.

At the time the resolution was put forward, his health was said to have rapidly declined while being detained, with reports that he had suffered from facial tumours, hypertension, severe malnutrition, and other medical conditions.

The US does not have a diplomatic presence in Afghanistan after it closed its embassy there after the Taliban took over in August 2022.

Qatar represents the US in Afghanistan, acting as its “protective power”.

In a statement released by Qatar’s Ministry of Affairs, Minister of State Mohammed bin Abdulaziz al-Khulaifi announced that it had helped facilitate the release of Glezmann.

“The Afghan caretaker government’s response to this process is a gesture of goodwill, reflecting its will to engage in dialogue and communication with the international community,” adding that “this approach deserves encouragement to establish mutual understanding… in resolving all outstanding issues”.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio said yesterday that Qatar has “consistently proven to be a reliable partner and trusted mediator, facilitating complex negotiations”.

“We extend our deepest appreciation to the State of Qatar, whose steadfast commitment and diplomatic efforts were instrumental in securing George’s release,” he said.

Glezmann is the third US citizen to be freed from Afghanistan this year after Ryan Corbett and William McKenty were released in a prisoner exchange in January.

Glezmann’s family is said to be “overjoyed and grateful. And relieved”, according to a report by CNN.