• American airline mechanic George Glezmann has been released by the Taliban after over two years in custody.
• His release was facilitated by Qatari negotiations and is seen as a goodwill gesture towards the U.S.
• Glezmann will be reunited with his wife, Aleksandra, upon his return to the U.S.
• This marks the third release of American detainees by the Taliban since January, amid continued U.S.-Taliban discussions.

In a significant development, George Glezmann, an American airline mechanic, was released by the Taliban after enduring over two years of detention in Afghanistan. His release, confirmed by the CBS News, is attributed to diplomatic negotiations facilitated by Qatar, which played a crucial role in securing his freedom. Glezmann had been detained since December 2022 during a tourist visit to Kabul and was designated as a wrongful detainee by the U.S. government in September 2023.

Upon his release, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio expressed gratitude towards Qatar for their “steadfast commitment and diplomatic efforts,” calling this a “positive and constructive step.” Glezmann was reported to be en route to reunite with his wife, Aleksandra, after boarding a Qatari flight from Kabul to Doha, as mentioned in reports from HuffPost and The New York Times.

The negotiations surrounding Glezmann's release mark a high point in U.S.-Taliban relations, potentially indicating a trend towards the normalization of contact between the two parties since the Taliban regained control of Afghanistan in 2021. U.S. hostage envoy Adam Boehler and former envoy Zalmay Khalilzad participated in direct talks with Taliban officials, which included discussions about bilateral relations and the ongoing plight of other Americans still detained in Afghanistan, such as Mahmood Habibi, believed to be held by the group.

The Taliban characterized Glezmann's release as a humanitarian act and a goodwill gesture toward the U.S. in a statement released by their Ministry of Foreign Affairs. This emphasizes their desire to engage with the United States based on mutual respect, as highlighted by works from Al Jazeera.

Despite this progress, Rubio noted that many other Americans remain unjustly detained, reflecting ongoing concerns regarding the safety and treatment of U.S. citizens abroad.

For further information, refer to the coverage from BBC.