On Thursday, the Taliban released George Glezmann, an American airline mechanic who has been held hostage by the group since 2022, according to U.S. officials.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio shared the news in a post to social media, praising Glezmann’s release.
“George Glezmann is free. George was wrongfully detained in Afghanistan for two and a half years, but now he’s on his way to be reunited with his wife Aleksandra,” Rubio wrote on X. “Welcome home, George!”
Glezmann, a native of Atlanta, is the third American detainee to be released by the Taliban this year, the other two being Ryan Corbett and William McKenty, who were released through a prisoner swap negotiated by the Biden administration.
He was captured by the group in December 2022 and designated by the United States as a wrongfully detained person, the Associated Press shared.
The Taliban said in January that its swap was a step toward the “normalization” of relations between Afghanistan and the United States.
However, that progress may be lost as Rubio said after Thursday’s swap that there would be a “VERY BIG bounty” on the Taliban’s top leaders after he learned of more Americans being imprisoned.
The response garnered a warning from the Taliban for Rubio, advising him not to make threats.
Still, Glezmann’s release did not feature a Taliban prisoner swap, instead, it was done in goodwill, according to the AP.
“George’s release is a positive and constructive step,” Rubio said in a statement. “It is also a reminder that other Americans are still detained in Afghanistan.”