Taliban frees US tourist after more than two years

Iain Marlow, Bloomberg News on Mar 20, 2025

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A U.S. citizen detained by the Taliban in Afghanistan for more than two years has been released, as the Trump administration continues to exert pressure on foreign governments to release detained Americans, the State Department said Thursday.

George Glezmann, a Delta Air Lines Inc. mechanic, was released after two and a half years of captivity and is on his way home to be reunited with his wife, Secretary of State Marco Rubio said in a statement, without commenting on anything the U.S. might have offered in return.

Glezmann’s release comes as President Donald Trump’s administration has spotlighted efforts to free unjustly detained Americans around the world, and follows the return of two other Americans from Afghanistan on the eve of his inauguration.

The administration has moved quickly to secure high-profile American hostages, including Marc Fogel last month after a three-and-a-half year detention in Russia and six citizens from Venezuela in January. The White House has also tried to free American hostages held by Hamas militants in the Gaza Strip, even as a ceasefire deal and hostage exchange with Israel faltered.

Rubio in his statement also thanked Qatar for its “instrumental” role in the release. The Gulf nation — which has also worked alongside the U.S. and Egypt on Hamas-Israel negotiations and recently hosted talks between the Democratic Republic of Congo and Rwanda — said in a statement that it facilitated Glezmann’s release and that he transited the capital Doha on his way home.

A State Department spokesman said in response to questions that the U.S. didn’t release anyone in exchange for Glezmann, without providing further details. Qatar’s Ministry of Foreign affairs said in its statement that Glezmann’s release was “a gesture of goodwill” by the Taliban “reflecting its will to engage in dialogue.”

Glezmann, who turned 65 in captivity, went to Afghanistan as a tourist on a five-day trip to “explore the cultural landscape and rich history of the country,” but was detained without charge, denied due process and was held in solitary confinement and underground for months at a time, according to a resolution in the U.S. Senate.

The Biden administration designated him as “wrongfully detained,” while his family said they worried that Glezmann — who was suffering from hypertension, severe malnutrition and other medical conditions — may not survive the harsh conditions of his detention.

“George’s release is a positive and constructive step,” Rubio said in a statement. “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.”

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