German journalist Eva Maria Michelmann returns home after being held in Syria, her lawyer and family members say. Michelmann vanished in January as government forces advance against Kurdish fighters in Syria’s northeast. Deutsche Welle reports that the German government said it was working to bring her back last week.
Al Jazeera reports that her brother says she has been held in the Syrian city of Raqqa since January. Both outlets link her detention to the period when fighting intensified in the areas controlled or contested by Kurdish forces. The reports do not provide additional details on the circumstances of her detention, the legal status, or whether any negotiations took place.
Michelmann’s return follows official efforts by the German government to secure her release. The accounts are based on statements from her lawyer and her family, and do not include information from Syrian authorities.
