GA lawmakers make new push to free Atlanta man held in Afghanistan since 2022

ATLANTA — There’s a new push to free an Atlanta man who is currently being held captive by the Taliban in Afghanistan.

He’s been in custody there since December 2022.

Channel 2 investigative reporter Mark Winne spoke to George Glezmann’s attorney about the Georgia lawmakers urging the White House for more action.

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A family representative said he believes Glezmann, then a Delta Air Lines mechanic on vacation, did everything he could to follow the letter of the law to enter Afghanistan as a tourist.

What has happened since then is the focus of a letter to President Biden signed by 10 Georgia Congressmembers, both Democrat and Republican.

The letter reads: “Dear President Biden, We write regarding the unlawful detention of Georgia resident George Glezmann by the Taliban in Afghanistan. We appreciate your ongoing negotiations and efforts to bring George home to his wife and family and urge you to continue and increase your efforts to secure his release.”

“Both parties are singing with one voice,” Glezmann family attorney Dennis Fitzpatrick said. “They recognize that this is a right or wrong issue and not a political issue. There’s no political spitballing going on. They’re unified behind George’s cause.”

The letter refers to Glezmann’s wife Aleksandra and says, “We ask that National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan and Secretary of State Antony Blinken meet with her to discuss George’s case, as they recently did with the family of another Taliban hostage, Ryan Corbett. We additionally ask for a briefing for our Congressional offices on the status of George’s situation.”

The letter, dated June 7 and provided to Channel 2 Action News by someone assisting the family, is signed by Representatives Nikema Williams, Rich McCormick, Buddy Carter, Sanford Bishop, Drew Ferguson, Hank Johnson, Lucy McBath, Austin Scott, Barry Loudermilk, and David Scott.

Fitzpatrick said Glezmann has an anthropology degree and a yearning to explore foreign cultures and countries.

Fitzpatrick said he hopes the White House escalates its sense of urgency to arrange for Glezmann’s freedom from Taliban captivity in Afghanistan that has lasted over a year and a half.

Fitzpatrick said Glezmann was strictly there as a tourist.

“It’s one team, one mission. And that mission is to get George home,” Fitzpatrick said.

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The letter details that George has medical concerns that necessitate his speedy return to the US.

It refers to a benign tumor outside his eye socket and says his condition is deteriorating, causing him significant pain and vision impairment.

It tells the president, “We applaud the emphasis your administration has placed on bringing home wrongfully detained Americans, and strongly urge you to take any necessary steps to secure George’s freedom.”

Fitzpatrick said he plans to be at a Congressional hearing Thursday about the plight of Americans detained abroad, and he anticipates Glezmann will be one of the detainees discussed.

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