Syrian government confirms detention of missing German journalist
BEIRUT (AP) — The Syrian government confirmed Thursday: German journalist The person who disappeared months ago was detained in Syria.
Eva Maria Michelmann, 36, was last seen on January 18, when she and a Kurdish-Turkish colleague were supposedly detained by Syrian government forces. Raqqa During military operations against Kurdish-led groups Syrian Democratic ForcesThe Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) said this in a statement earlier this week.
The group called for his release.
The Syrian Ministry of Information said in a statement that a Turkish man, identified by Michelmann and CPJ as Kurdish-Turkish journalist Ahmed Polad, was found in a building used as a “security headquarters” by the SDF during a search by Interior Ministry forces in Raqqa.
In the statement, it was stated that the two foreign nationals “refused to reveal their real identities and did not have any official documents confirming who they were.” He stated that during the initial interrogation, they “claimed to be involved in humanitarian activities and did not mention any journalistic role” and said they were working for the United Nations, but this was later found to be a lie.
The Ministry of Information said that these people later tried to escape and were detained again due to “suspicion that they may be foreign fighters illegally in Syria.”
In the statement, it was stated that the duo “was officially detained and legal proceedings were initiated to be referred to the competent judicial authorities.” He did not specify the charges against them.
CPJ said the two journalists worked for Istanbul-based Etkin News Agency ETHA and Özgür TV, which operates in many cities in Europe.
Frank Jasenski, a lawyer representing Michelmann and his family in Germany, said earlier this week: “We assume that his health is very, very poor and we demand his immediate release.”
The German Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced last week that it had contacted the detained journalist but did not provide further details, citing confidentiality rules.
Syrian government forces captured Raqqa, previously controlled by the SDF, during the offensive in January. The SDF and Damascus later reached a ceasefire and announced an agreement to integrate the SDF into the national army.
A ceasefire has been reached and the integration agreement is slowly progressing. Syria’s new leaders have been struggling ever since Overthrowing former President Bashar Assad In December 2024, they will declare full authority over the country, which has been torn apart by nearly 14 years of civil war.
