GA Lawmakers Make New Effort to Free Atlanta Man Held in Afghanistan Since 2022

There is a new initiative to free an Atlanta man who is currently being held captive by the Taliban in Afghanistan.

He has been in detention there since December 2022.

Mark Winne, Channel 2 investigative reporter spoke with George Glezmann’s attorney about Georgia lawmakers who have urged the White House to take more action.

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A family representative said he believed Glezmann, then a vacationing Delta Air Lines mechanic, did everything he could to follow the letter of the law allowing entry into Afghanistan as a tourist.

What has happened since then is the focus of a letter to President Biden signed by 10 Georgia congressmen, both Democrats and Republicans.

The letter reads: “Dear President Biden, we are writing to you regarding the illegal detention of Georgia resident George Glezmann by the Taliban in Afghanistan. We appreciate your ongoing negotiations and efforts to return George home to his wife and family and urge you to continue and intensify your efforts to secure his release.

“Both sides are singing with one voice,” said Glezmann family attorney Dennis Fitzpatrick. “They recognize that this is a question of right or wrong and not a political question. There is no political spitting. They are united behind George’s cause.

The letter references Glezmann’s wife Aleksandra and says: “We request that National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan and Secretary of State Antony Blinken meet with her to discuss George’s case, as they have recently made with the family of another Taliban hostage, Ryan Corbett. We also request that our congressional offices be informed of the status of George’s situation.

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

Fitzpatrick said Glezmann had a degree in anthropology and had a desire to explore foreign cultures and countries.

Fitzpatrick said he hoped the White House would step up its sense of urgency to arrange Glezmann’s release from Taliban captivity in Afghanistan that lasted more than a year and a half.

Fitzpatrick said Glezmann was there only as a tourist.

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

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The letter states that George has health problems that require his rapid return to the United States.

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

He told the president: “We welcome your administration’s emphasis on repatriating wrongfully detained Americans, and we strongly urge you to take all necessary steps to secure George’s freedom.” »

Fitzpatrick said he plans to attend a congressional hearing Thursday on the plight of Americans detained overseas, and he expects Glezmann to be one of the detainees discussed.

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