George Glezmann is the third American detainee to be launched by the Taliban since January of this 12 months.
The Taliban has freed an American citizen, George Glezmann, after holding him in Afghanistan for years, Secretary of State Marco Rubio stated on Thursday.
Glezmann, an airline mechanic from Atlanta, is the third American detainee to be launched by the Taliban since January of this 12 months. He was seized by the Taliban’s intelligence companies in December 2022 and was designated by the U.S. authorities as wrongfully detained the next 12 months.
The Taliban, which overtook Afghanistan in 2021 after the U.S. navy withdrew from the nation after twenty years, has not issued a public assertion on Glezmann’s launch.
“At present is an effective day. We succeeded in acquiring the discharge of an American citizen … after two years in detention in Kabul. The Taliban authorities agreed to free him as a goodwill gesture to [President Donald Trump] and the American folks,” he wrote, including that Trump “has made the liberty and homecoming of Individuals held overseas a excessive precedence. ”
“George’s launch is a optimistic and constructive step. It is usually a reminder that different Individuals are nonetheless detained in Afghanistan. President Trump will proceed his tireless work to free ALL Individuals unjustly detained all over the world,” his assertion stated.
On Jan. 21, a day after Trump took workplace, U.S. residents Ryan Corbett and William McKenty had been launched by the Taliban in a prisoner swap in trade for a Taliban determine imprisoned for all times in California on drug trafficking and terrorism fees. The Taliban’s Overseas Ministry in Kabul stated the 2 U.S. residents had been exchanged for Khan Mohammed, who was sentenced to 2 life phrases in 2008.
“The Trump Administration will proceed to demand the discharge of all Individuals held by the Taliban, particularly in mild of the billions of {dollars} in U.S. support they’ve acquired lately,” White Home Nationwide Safety Council spokesperson Brian Hughes stated in an announcement on the time.
Final month, American citizen Marc Fogel was launched from a Russian jail and landed at Joint Base Andrews close to Washington earlier than assembly with Trump. On the time, the president informed reporters Fogel’s launch was a “present of fine religion” from Moscow in a bid to finish the Russia–Ukraine conflict.
The Epoch Instances contacted the Division of State for extra touch upon Thursday.
The Related Press contributed to this report.