20 June 2026
Eva Maria Michelmann, a German journalist from Cologne who had been held captive in Syria for over 150 days, returned to Germany on Friday, 19 June. Her colleague Ahmet Polad, with whom Michelmann was detained, remains in custody.
On 18 January, when the security forces of the Syrian transitional government launched a major offensive against the Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria (Rojava), the Cologne-based journalist Eva Maria Michelmann and her colleague Ahmet Polad were abducted and arrested in Raqqa. Eva spent over five months in detention. We are now relieved to announce that Eva Michelmann returned safely to Germany on Friday.
Eva Maria Michelmann’s freedom was hard-won
At the end of February, it was reported that the two journalists, having sought refuge in a DAANES building alongside other civilians, were abducted from al-Sharaa during the attack by the Syrian Transitional Government’s (STG) forces. It was suspected that they had been abducted and detained by STG forces, but for a long time there was no information about what had happened. This was followed here in Germany, across Europe and beyond by persistent efforts by the ‘Where are Eva and Ahmet?’ initiative, in collaboration with family members, lawyers, numerous organisations and activists, with the aim of locating the two missing journalists and clarifying their current situation. This was followed by numerous attempts to contact the German Federal Government; pressure was exerted on the Federal Foreign Office, press conferences were held and street protests were organised – initially with the aim of clarifying their situation, and, following the announcement of their detention, with the aim of securing their release.
It was this coordinated effort and tenacity that ultimately secured Eva Michelmann’s release. This work highlights the necessity of organising solidarity with political prisoners and proves that the struggle for their freedom can be successful. As an initiative, we would like to take this opportunity to thank all the working journalists, news portals, NGOs, politicians and activists who have worked over the past four months to shed light on Eva’s case and secure her release. Following her recent return, however, we ask for your understanding that press enquiries addressed to Eva Michelmann can only be dealt with once she has had the chance to rest and settle back in.
Journalism is not a crime – freedom for Ahmet Polad (Mehmet Nizam Aslan)!
The campaign for the release of the two journalists has had two sides: although we were relieved to welcome Eva Maria Michelmann back to Germany, her colleague Ahmet Polad, a presenter for Özgür TV and a writer for Kurdistana Azad, remains in Syrian custody. There is currently no official information available regarding his state of health, his conditions of detention or the charges brought against him. This is precisely why it is essential that we continue our work on behalf of the journalist Ahmet Polad and secure his release as soon as possible. Journalists who uncover the truth about the situation in war zones must not be subjected to criminalisation.
The case of Eva and Ahmet is just one example among many. During the major offensive in January 2026, thousands of people were abducted and murdered, and numerous human rights violations took place, which were documented, amongst other sources, in the human rights report¹ by the Rojava Information Centre.
As the ‘Freedom for Eva and Ahmet’ initiative, we will end the vigil outside Cologne City Hall but continue our work until Ahmet Polad is also free!
¹https://rojavainformationcenter.org/2026/05/the-assault-on-north-east-syria-violations-during-saa-january-2026-offensive/
