American George Glezmann freed by Taliban more than 2 years after arrest
He had been deemed wrongfully detained by the U.S. government.
Rubio thanked Qatar, saying the nation's "steadfast commitment and diplomatic efforts were instrumental in securing George's release."
His statement came after former U.S. government envoy to Afghanistan Zalmay Khalilzad posted a statement on X announcing Glezmann's release, which he called "a goodwill gesture" to President Trump by the Taliban.
Mr. Trump, Khalilzad said, had "made the freedom and homecoming of Americans held abroad a high priority. It is an honor to assist in this important effort."
"George joins American Ryan Corbett and William McKenty, who were released from Afghanistan on the night of President Trump's inauguration and returned home to their families," Rubio said in his statement, adding: "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."
Corbet and McKenty were released in January in exchange for a Taliban figure who had been imprisoned in California on drug trafficking and terrorism charges.
Before President Joe Biden left office, his administration had also been working on a deal to secure the release of Corbett, Glezmann and Mahmood Habibi, an Afghan-American businessman who worked as a contractor for a Kabul-based telecommunications company and also went missing in 2022. The Taliban has denied holding Habibi.
Since retaking control of Afghanistan following the U.S. military withdrawal in the summer of 2021, the Taliban movement has failed to gain international recognition as the country's rightful rulers. Most nations, including the U.S., have refused to engage in formal diplomatic relations due to the Taliban's draconian crackdown on human rights, which has seen the Islamic extremist group erase virtually every freedom granted to Afghan women and girls during the two decades of Western-backed governance.
The Taliban regime has tried to show that, despite those domestic policies, it is aligned with the U.S. in its determination to rid Afghanistan of the threat posed by ISIS.
A statement issued Thursday by Afghanistan's Taliban-run Ministry of Foreign Affairs called Glezmann's release "a goodwill gesture, reflecting Afghanistan's readiness to genuinely engage all sides, particularly the United States of America, on the basis of mutual respect and interests."
"The end of conflict in Afghanistan, suppression of corrupt groups such as Daesh [ISIS], and no threat emanating from Afghanistan towards others, demonstrates that Afghanistan can play a positive role in regional and world stability, and is able to resolve its issues with the world on amicable terms," the statement said.
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