George Glezmann, a 65-year-old airline mechanic, has been released by the Taliban after being held in Afghanistan for over two years. Glezmann, who was detained in December 2022 while visiting as a tourist, arrived in Qatar on Thursday evening before continuing on to the United States.

The release followed a high-level meeting in Kabul between the Taliban’s foreign minister and a US delegation including US hostage envoy Adam Boehler and former US envoy to Kabul, Zalmay Khalilzad. 

The Taliban described Glezmann’s release as a “goodwill gesture” on “humanitarian grounds.” 

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio lauded the move as a “positive and constructive step,” marking the highest-level direct talks between the US and the Taliban since President Trump’s inauguration.  Qatar facilitated the negotiations.

Glezmann’s wife, Aleksandra, will be reunited with him soon. While detained, he had limited phone contact with his family and his health reportedly deteriorated significantly. The James Foley Foundation, which tracks cases of Americans held overseas, confirmed these details.

While celebrating Glezmann’s release, Rubio acknowledged that other Americans remain detained in Afghanistan, including Mahmood Habibi, who was detained in August 2022.

Earlier, two Americans, Ryan Corbett and William Wallace McKenty, were released by the Taliban in exchange for Khan Mohamad, who was imprisoned in the US.