Taliban Frees American Citizen Detained in Afghanistan for Years, Rubio Announces

George Glezmann is the third American detainee to be released by the Taliban since January.

George Glezmann (C) poses with Adam Boehler (2nd L) and Zalmay Khalilzad (2nd R) and Qatari diplomats in Kabul, Afghanistan, on March 20, 2025, before departing to Doha, Qatar. Qatar Ministry of Foreign Affairs via AP

The Taliban has freed a U.S. citizen, George Glezmann, after holding him in Afghanistan for years, Secretary of State Marco Rubio said on March 20.

“George was wrongfully detained in Afghanistan for two and a half years, but now he’s on his way to be reunited with his wife Aleksandra,” Rubio wrote in a statement posted on social media platform X.

Glezmann, an airline mechanic from Atlanta, is the third American detainee to be released by the Taliban since January. He was seized by the Taliban’s intelligence services in December 2022 and was designated by the U.S. government as wrongfully detained the following year.

The Taliban, which overtook Afghanistan in 2021 after the U.S. military withdrew from the country after two decades, has not issued a public statement on Glezmann’s release.

A former U.S. envoy to Afghanistan and Iraq, Zalmay Khalilzad, said in a statement on X that Glezmann’s release had been secured and that he’s “on his way home to his family.”

“Today is a good day. We succeeded in obtaining the release of an American citizen. ... after two years in detention in Kabul. The Taliban government agreed to free him as a goodwill gesture to [President Donald Trump] and the American people,” he wrote, adding that Trump “has made the freedom and homecoming of Americans held abroad a high priority.”

In a separate statement, Rubio also said that Glezmann was on his way back to the United States to be reunited with his wife and praised the Qatari government for its “steadfast commitment and diplomatic efforts” that were “instrumental in securing George’s release.”

“George’s release is a positive and constructive step. It is also a reminder that other Americans are still detained in Afghanistan. President Trump will continue his tireless work to free ALL Americans unjustly detained around the world,” Rubio’s statement said.

On Jan. 21, a day after Trump took office, U.S. citizens Ryan Corbett and William McKenty were released by the Taliban in a prisoner swap in exchange for a Taliban member imprisoned for life in California on drug trafficking and terrorism charges. The Taliban’s foreign ministry in Kabul said the two U.S. citizens had been exchanged for Khan Mohammed, who was sentenced to two life terms in 2008.

“The Trump Administration will continue to demand the release of all Americans held by the Taliban, especially in light of the billions of dollars in U.S. aid they’ve received in recent years,” Brian Hughes, White House National Security Council spokesperson, said in a statement at the time.

Last month, U.S. citizen Marc Fogel was released from a Russian prison and landed at Joint Base Andrews near Washington before meeting with Trump. At the time, the president told reporters that Fogel’s release was a “show of good faith” from Moscow in a bid to end the Russia–Ukraine war.

“We were treated very nicely by Russia,” Trump said. “Actually, I hope that’s the beginning of a relationship where we can end that war and millions of people can stop being killed.”

In exchange, the United States released Russian national Alexander Vinnik, who pleaded guilty in 2024 to conspiracy to commit money laundering via a cryptocurrency exchange, BTC-e.

The Epoch Times contacted the Department of State for additional comment on March 20.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.