KABUL, Afghanistan: US former envoy Zalmay Khalilzad has said that they have succeeded in obtaining the release of an American citizen after he was being held in Afghanistan for two years.
In a statement via social media he said, “Today is a good day. We succeeded in obtaining the release of an American citizen, Georg Glezmann, after two years in detention in Kabul. The Taliban government agreed to free him as a goodwill gesture. George is on his way home to his family.”
Today is a good day. We succeeded in obtaining the release of an American citizen, Georg Glezmann, after two years in detention in Kabul. The Taliban government agreed to free him as a goodwill gesture to @POTUS and the American people. George is on his way home to his family.…
— Zalmay Khalilzad (@realZalmayMK) March 20, 2025
Earlier, a US delegation, including former envoy Zalmay Khalilzad and presidential envoy for hostage affairs Adam Boehler, met Afghan Taliban Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi in Kabul on Thursday to discuss prisoner exchanges and bilateral relations, according to the Taliban Foreign Ministry.
In a statement posted on social media platform X, Taliban Foreign Ministry said the talks covered “bilateral relations, the release of prisoners, and consular services for Afghans in the United States.”
د ا.ا.ا. د بهرنيو چارو وزير محترم مولوي امير خان متقي سره نن د بنديانو په چارو کې د امريکا متحده ايالتونو د ولسمشر ځانگړي استازي او ورسره د افغانستان لپاره د امریکا پخواني ځانگړي استازي ښاغلي زلمي خليلزاد او ملپلاوي وکتل.
په دې ناسته کې د افغانستان او امریکا پر دوو اړخيزو اړيکو، pic.twitter.com/GLzj7rDOwJ— Hafiz Zia Ahmad (@HafizZiaAhmad) March 20, 2025
Muttaqi described the meeting as “a positive step toward improving bilateral relations” and reiterated the Taliban’s commitment to “balanced foreign relations” and constructive engagement with all parties.
Boehler, who has been working on hostage affairs for the White House, reportedly acknowledged progress on prisoner exchanges and called it “an important step toward confidence-building.”
He further noted that the US-Afghanistan relationship had been marked by challenges but emphasised the need to “look to the future.”
The US government has yet to issue a statement regarding the meeting.
Ongoing prisoner concerns
The talks come amid concerns over American citizens detained in Afghanistan. The US State Department has previously confirmed that at least two Americans, George Glinsman and Mahmood Shah Habibi, remain in Taliban custody.
Glinsman, an airline mechanic from Atlanta, was reportedly arrested in December 2022, while Habibi, an Afghan-American businessman and former aviation official, disappeared the same year while working for a telecom company in Kabul.
Last month, Taliban authorities announced the arrest of a Chinese-American national in Bamiyan province, a region known for its historic Buddhist statues. Officials have not disclosed the reasons for the individual’s detention.
In January, two Americans, Ryan Corbett and William McKenty, were released in exchange for Khan Mohammed, an Afghan national convicted of terrorism in the US.
Shifting US-Taliban engagement?
The visit marks Khalilzad’s first known return to Afghanistan since the fall of the previous government in August 2021.
Khalilzad, who played a central role in negotiating the 2020 Doha Agreement, which paved the way for the US withdrawal and the Taliban’s return to power, has remained a key figure in discussions regarding Afghanistan.
The meeting also comes amid reports that the US administration is reassessing its approach to engaging with the Taliban.
Earlier this year, an American private sector delegation visited Afghanistan to engage with Taliban officials and local stakeholders, marking the first such interaction since the Taliban assumed control in 2021.
