Taliban frees US citizen after talks in Kabul

Taliban officials hold a meeting with a US delegation in Kabul. AFP

The Taliban on Thursday freed an American citizen who had been detained in Afghanistan for more than two years, following talks in Kabul, the State Department said.

George Glezmann was taken into Taliban custody in 2022 while visiting Kabul as a tourist. The State Department credited Qatar with being “instrumental” in his release.

“George’s release is a positive and constructive step,” the State Department said in a statement. “It is also a reminder that other Americans are still detained in Afghanistan. President [Donald] Trump will continue his tireless work to free all Americans unjustly detained around the world.”

Mr Glezmann follows Americans Ryan Corbett and William McKenty, who were released from Afghanistan in January.

A Taliban spokesman for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs posted on X a series of photos showing Amir Khan Muttaqi, the group's Foreign Minister, meeting Washington's special envoy for hostages Adam Boehler and former US envoy to Afghanistan Zalmay Khalilzad in Kabul.

“The Minister of Foreign Affairs of the country welcomed the delegation and described their arrival in Kabul as a good development in bilateral relations,” the post stated, adding that prisoner release was discussed during the meetings.

“The Foreign Minister added that it is important that Afghanistan and the United States are able to resolve issues through dialogue … that both countries need to overcome the effects of the 20-year war and engage in political dialogue with each other.”

The US and the Taliban do not have diplomatic relations, and direct meetings between delegations from the two countries have been rare – and typically held in Qatar.

But Mr Boehler is no stranger to breaking with diplomatic tradition when it comes to hostage release. Mr Trump has previously praised him as having “negotiated with some of the toughest people in the world, including the Taliban”. He also met directly with officials from Hamas in recent weeks in an attempt to secure the release of American hostages, causing outcry in the Israeli government.

Mr Khalilzad was part of Mr Trump's first administration and was responsible for dealing directly with the Taliban. He was instrumental in forging the Doha Agreement between the US and the Taliban in 2020, which kick-started what ultimately became a chaotic withdrawal of American forces. Mr Khalilzad became the focus of congressional anger early last year, with politicians accusing him of giving up US leverage in the 2020 deal.