German journalist Eva Maria Michelmann released after five months in Syrian prison

Release and return

Eva Maria Michelmann landed in Berlin on Friday afternoon after being freed from a Syrian prison earlier that day, according to her lawyer Roland Meister. She was then picked up by her brother Antonius, who said,

“She is doing well under the circumstances.”

Her release followed a prolonged period of solitary confinement and deteriorating health. Meister confirmed:

“It can be confirmed that Eva M. Michelmann was released this morning and returned to Germany this afternoon.”

Arrest and interrogation

Michelmann was taken into custody on 18 January 2026 during a Syrian government military operation in the city of Raqqa, an area previously under Kurdish control. According to the Syrian Information Ministry, she and her Turkish-Kurdish colleague Ahmed Polad were detained in a building linked to the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF). She was held without charge and placed in solitary confinement. Her brother reported that she endured electric shocks. Her lawyer later stated:

“She was subjected to torture and incessant interrogations, even at night.”

The lawyer also warned about ten days before her release that she had lost a significant amount of weight and her health was severely declining.

Family campaign and consular push

For months, Michelmann's family and lawyer had no information about her whereabouts. They conducted their own investigation to trace her to the Syrian prison and waged a public campaign, holding vigils and press conferences, while criticising the German government for not doing enough. Antonius Michelmann described the experience as 

“an unbearable strain between hope and disappointment.”

The German consulate in Damascus eventually secured consular visits; the most recent known visit was on 12 June. High-level talks by the German Foreign Office in Berlin also contributed to pressuring Damascus, and the brother believes public pressure played a decisive role in her release.

Key dates

Fate of Ahmed Polad

Michelmann's colleague Ahmed Polad, a Turkish-Kurdish journalist who worked with her for the Istanbul-based Etkin News Agency (ETHA) and Özgür TV, was detained alongside her in January and remains unaccounted for. Antonius Michelmann said there is still no trace of him. The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) had earlier condemned the lack of transparency from the Syrian government and raised concerns about press freedom in the country.