Taliban confirms detention of two Americans, US calls for release

The Afghan Taliban confirmed on Sunday that two US citizens are currently being detained for violations of Afghan laws.

The US State Department recently reported that three American citizens are currently imprisoned in Afghanistan. According to media reports, a department spokesperson identified the detained individuals as George Glezmann, Mahmood Habibi, and Ryan Corbett, who the Afghan Taliban are holding.

Hamdullah Fitrat, the deputy spokesperson for the Islamic Emirate Afghanistan, told The Media Line, “Both American nationals violated the country’s law, and discussion has been held with the US officials in this regard.”

Last week, Zabiullah Mujahid, the Taliban's chief spokesperson, told reporters in Kabul that “the topic of a prisoner release was discussed during his recent meeting with US officials in Doha, continuing a recurring theme in their negotiations.”

"Afghanistan's conditions must be met. We have our citizens who are imprisoned in the US and Guantanamo," Mujahid stated. "We should free our prisoners in exchange for them. Just as their prisoners are important to America, Afghans are equally important to us," he added.

The other American detainees

Meanwhile, the US Congress has also passed a resolution demanding the immediate and unconditional release of George Glezmann and all other American citizens and lawful permanent residents detained by the Taliban. The resolution criticized these arrests as “wrongful detentions.”

It highlighted that Glezmann traveled to Afghanistan in December 2022 on a five-day trip to explore the country’s cultural landscape and history. The resolution stated, "The Taliban detained Glezmann without charging him with a crime or granting him due process in any judicial proceedings."

Glezmann turned 65 years old during his wrongful detention, and his physical and mental health is rapidly declining due to the stress and harsh conditions, according to the resolution, which expressed the family’s fear that he may not survive his detention. It also noted that US Secretary of State Antony Blinken designated Glezmann as wrongfully detained. Reports indicate that he has endured months of solitary confinement.

The second US citizen has been identified as Ryan Corbett, who was taken into custody in August 2022, a year after the Taliban regained control of Afghanistan following the withdrawal of US-led Western troops.

Fitrat declined to talk about the third person, Muhammed Habibi, an Afghan-born American national.