ATLANTA — George Glezmann, a former Delta Air Lines mechanic, has been held by the Taliban in Kabul for more than a year and a half. Recently, the U.S. Senate passed a resolution unanimously urging his immediate release.
Glezmann, detained since December 2022, has spent much of this time confined in a basement.
His family’s attorney, Dennis Fitzpatrick, highlighted the contrast between dealing with an established government like Russia, which has seen some hostages released recently, and an isolated regime like the Taliban.
“We just need to keep the momentum up behind George so he gets the same happy result as those Americans got last night,” said Fitzpatrick.
The resolution, co-sponsored by Georgia Senators Jon Ossoff, Raphael Warnock and Patty Murray, urges President Joe Biden and all executive branch officials to continue advocating for Glezmann’s immediate release in all interactions with the Taliban.
Additionally, it calls for the unconditional release of all U.S. citizens and lawful permanent residents wrongfully detained in Afghanistan.
Glezmann’s wife, Aleksandra, has been on an emotional roller coaster.
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“She’s elated for the release of hostages, but it puts a stark spotlight on the difficult circumstances that her husband is in. And so that’s very hard,” Fitzpatrick said.
The Senate resolution states that the Taliban detained Glezmann without charging him or granting due process.
He is held in a nine-foot-by-nine-foot cell and has undergone solitary confinement for months.
Glezmann suffers from facial tumors, hypertension, severe malnutrition, and other medical conditions. His physical and mental health are rapidly declining, and his family fears he may not survive.
Fitzpatrick pointed out the different dynamics at play with the Taliban compared to the Russian government.
“The Russians have the ability to think in their own self-interest. And it’s yet to be determined whether the Taliban have that skill,” he said.
Aleksandra Glezmann recently spoke at length with U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken and wrote a heartfelt letter to President Biden, saying, “We understand the Taliban poses extreme geo-political challenges for the United States, and we do not suggest that securing George’s release is easy. But you did not enter a life of public service to do easy things.”
She urged Biden to embrace George’s cause as an act of moral courage.
Glezmann, described by his attorney as a hardworking, blue-collar citizen of Atlanta, Georgia, traveled to Afghanistan to explore different cultures, a passion that took him to over a hundred countries. Aleksandra’s letter noted, “He was so committed to deepening his understanding of different cultures that he received a bachelor’s degree in Anthropology in his late 50s.”
The family continues to hope for Glezmann’s safe return.
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