OAN Staff James Meyers
10:17 AM – Thursday, March 20, 2025
A Georgia man that was held captive for over two years by the Taliban, the Islamic terrorist group based in Afghanistan, has been released following negotiations between the Trump administration and Qatari officials — according to multiple reports.
The Taliban previously abducted 65-year-old George Glezmann while he was visiting Afghanistan on December 5th, 2022.
However, he has now been released after negotiations involving Trump’s special hostage envoy, Adam Boehler, alongside Taliban and Qatari officials.
Glezmann left the Kabul airport on Wednesday evening while on his way to Doha. He was met by U.S. hostage envoy Adam Boehler, along with a team from the Qatari Foreign Ministry.
Boehler and former U.S. envoy to Afghanistan Zalmay Khalilzad met with Qatar’s foreign ministry spokesman and senior adviser to the prime minister, Majed Al Ansari, as well as Afghanistan foreign minister Amir Khan Muttaqi — to finalize Glezmann’s release on Thursday.
Qatar has maintained diplomatic relations with Afghanistan following the 2021 Taliban takeover, though the U.S. has not.
The diplomatic source confirmed that Glezmann’s release was agreed upon as a “goodwill gesture” by the Taliban as an indication of “trust” in Qatar’s continued role as intermediary between Washington, D.C., and Kabul.
“George Glezmann is free. 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,” Secretary of State Marco Rubio posted Thursday on X. “Welcome home, George!”
President Trump “has made the freedom and homecoming of Americans held abroad a high priority,” added Khalilzad on X. “It is an honor to assist in this important effort.”
Qatar’s foreign ministry has been in charge of discussions between the Taliban and the U.S. since former President Joe Biden’s disastrous Afghanistan withdrawal.
The source also noted that Qatar’s main role is to ensure “humanitarian corridors remain open” to and from Afghanistan.
Former Secretary of State Antony Blinken previously testified before Congress in 2023 claiming that more than 175 Americans remained deserted in Afghanistan, but he did not go into detail about how many were wrongfully taken by the Taliban.
Qatar is also taking the lead in providing support for Glezmann’s immediate return home, including any medical aid required, as he is reunited back with his family.
President Trump “has made the freedom and homecoming of Americans held abroad a high priority,” Khalilzad said on X. “It is an honor to assist in this important effort.”
“We extend our deepest appreciation to the State of Qatar, who’s steadfast commitment and diplomatic efforts were instrumental in securing George’s release,” added the State Department in a statement.
“Qatar has consistently proven to be a reliable partner and trusted mediator, facilitating complex negotiations,” the department added.
“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 worldwide.”
In 2023, the State Department officially declared the 65-year-old man “wrongfully detained,” a label that directed more federal resources to be utilized toward his case — although he continued to struggle in Taliban captivity.
Two other American citizens, Ryan Corbett and William McKenty, were also released by the Taliban in January following a last-minute agreement brokered by the Biden administration before leaving office.
The White House recently withdrew Boehler’s nomination as hostage affairs envoy after he drew criticism for speaking openly about his negotiations with Hamas amid their ongoing war with Israel.
“With respect to the Hamas situation, I do think there’s hope. I think that Israel has done a wonderful, masterful job eliminating Hamas, Hezbollah, a number of other enemies in the state that makes things possible that weren’t possible before,” Boehler told CNN’s Jake Tapper on the Sunday public affairs show “State of the Union” earlier this month.
“And I think you could see something like a long-term truce, where we forgive prisoners, where Hamas lays down their arms, where they agree they’re not part of the political party going forward.”
For now, it remains unclear if Boehler’s meeting with the Afghan foreign ministry signifies that the U.S. will establish official “diplomatic ties” with the Taliban, especially as D.C. tries to secure the release of another American who is still currently held captive under the Taliban.
U.S. citizen Mahmood Habibi has been held by the Taliban for over two years, though the Afghan Islamist group denies that it is holding him.
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