THE HALFAX HEIMDALL AUGUR

German journalist detained in Syria back home, lawyer says Eva Maria Michelmann vanished in Syria in January as government forces advanced on Kurdish fighters in the northeast. The German government last week said it was working to get her home.

Detained in Syria, A German Journalist in Contact with Her Embassy ... Detained in Syria, A German Journalist in Contact with Her Embassy France – Fondation-Institut Kurde de Paris, June 12, 2026 A German journalist, detained in Syria, recently received visits in prison from the German embassy in Damascus, the German Ministry of Foreign Affairs said on Friday. Eva Maria Michelmann disappeared in January during an offensive led by Syrian government forces in the northeast of the country, an area previously controlled by Kurdish forces. Witnesses reported at the time that she had been taken in a vehicle belonging to government forces in the city of Raqqa, accompanied by Turkish-Kurdish journalist Ahmed Polad. Both worked for a small news agency Etkin Haber Ajansi (ETHA) and the Özgür TV channel, two left-wing Turkish media, according to the Journalists’ Committee for the Protection (CPJ). “Employees from the German Embassy in Damascus were able to visit recently” Ms. Michelmann, said a spokeswoman for the German Foreign Ministry, during a regular press briefing of the German government in Berlin. She was unable to say why the journalist had been imprisoned and what charges had been …

German, Turkish journalists missing in Syria Share this: Share on Bluesky (Opens in new window) Bluesky Share on Facebook (Opens in new window) Facebook Share on LinkedIn (Opens in new window) LinkedIn Share on X (Opens in new window) X Share on WhatsApp (Opens in new window) WhatsApp Email a link to a friend (Opens in new window) Email Sulaymaniyah, March 11, 2026 — The Committee to Protect Journalists calls on Syrian authorities to clarify the fate and whereabouts of German journalist Eva Maria Michelmann and Kurdish-Turkish journalist Ahmed Polad, whom their outlets and relatives say have not been heard from since January 18, when the northeastern Syrian city of Raqqa fell to government forces in an offensive against the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces. The two journalists, who worked for Istanbul-based socialist Etkin News Agency (ETHA) and Özgür TV , which operates across several cities in Europe, were last seen leaving a building affiliated with Kurdish authorities with civilians fleeing the city, when they were separated from the crowd and placed “in a separate vehicle” belonging to Syrian government forces, according to ETHA . “The disappearance of Eva Maria Michelman…

Syrian government confirms German journalist detained in Raqqa | AP News This is a locator map for Syria with its capital, Damascus. (AP Photo) BEIRUT (AP) — The Syrian government confirmed Thursday that aGerman journalistwho went missing months ago is detained in Syria. Eva Maria Michelmann, 36, was last seen on Jan. 18, when she and a Kurdish-Turkish colleague were supposedly detained by Syrian government forces during the takeover ofRaqqaduring military operations against the Kurdish-ledSyrian Democratic Forces, the Committee to Protect Journalists, or CPJ, said earlier this week. The group called for her release. Syria’s Information Ministry said in a statement that Michelmann and a Turkish man — identified by CPJ as Kurdish-Turkish journalist Ahmed Polad — were found during a sweep of Raqqa by Interior Ministry forces, in a building that had been used by the SDF as a “security headquarters.” It said the two foreign nationals had “refused to disclose their true identities and possessed no official documentation verifying who they were.” During initial questioning, it said, they “claimed to be engaged in humanitarian work and made no mention of any journalistic role” and s…

German journalist held in Syria back home, family says Eva Maria Michelmann's brother says she had been held in the Syrian city of Raqqa since January.