BERLIN (AP) — A German journalist whose fate had been a mystery for months following her detention in Syria is now free, according to her lawyer, who made the announcement Monday.
Eva Maria Michelmann walked out of a Damascus prison on Friday and made it back to Berlin that same day, her attorney Roland Meister confirmed in a written statement.
“She’s doing as well as can be expected under the circumstances,” Meister said, while cautioning that “this cautious wording is not an all-clear as to the physical and psychological consequences of her detention.”
The 36-year-old journalist, along with a Kurdish-Turkish colleague, was taken into custody by Syrian government forces back in January. The arrests came during the takeover of Raqqa, following military operations against the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces.
For a period of time, no one knew where Michelmann was being held. It wasn’t until the Syrian government confirmed her detention that her situation became clearer. The Committee to Protect Journalists called for her release in April, and international pressure on her behalf continued to grow.
Her colleague, Kurdish-Turkish reporter Ahmet Polad, has not been released, and his current whereabouts remain unknown.
Meister called on authorities to immediately and unconditionally free Polad, and also demanded that doctors, lawyers, and his family be given unrestricted access to him.
Michelmann, who grew up in the western German city of Cologne, had been working as a reporter in Syria since 2022. She and Polad both worked for the Istanbul-based Etkin News Agency ETHA and Özgür TV, a broadcaster with operations across multiple European cities, according to the Committee to Protect Journalists.
Her lawyer expressed gratitude toward staff at the German Foreign Ministry and the German embassies in Damascus and Beirut for their role in securing her release.
Martin Giese, a spokesperson for the German Foreign Office, told reporters: “The federal government is, of course, very relieved that Ms. Michelmann has been released. From the very first day we learned of her arrest, we have worked very, very hard to secure her release.”
Her family responded with great relief. Her brother, Antonius Michelmann, said: “I am immensely relieved that my sister is now free. This was only possible because of the tremendous solidarity shown to Eva and Ahmet and to both our families.”
He also made clear that the fight isn’t over: “It is now high time for Ahmet to be released as well.”
