ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - German journalist Eva Maria Michelmann, who went missing in Syria in January and was later confirmed to be in Syrian custody, has returned to Germany after being released by Syrian authorities, according to her lawyer.
"It can be confirmed that Eva M. Michelmann was released this morning and returned to Germany this afternoon," her lawyer, Roland Meister, told AFP on Friday.
The development came hours after Syria's foreign ministry announced that Damascus had approved Michelmann's deportation to Germany following coordination with German authorities and the German embassy in Damascus.
In a statement carried by state news agency SANA, the ministry said Michelmann had been present in northeast Syria and had participated alongside the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) during military operations in Raqqa province. It claimed she had entered Syria illegally and was detained alongside a senior member of the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK).
The ministry said Syrian authorities facilitated consular visits and medical examinations requested by Germany and approved her return "out of concern for bilateral relations" between Damascus and Berlin.
According to German media, Michelmann left Syria through a third country before boarding a flight to Germany.
Michelmann disappeared in mid-January during a Syrian government offensive that brought Raqqa under Damascus' control. Reports at the time said she was taken in a vehicle belonging to government forces along with Kurdish journalist Ahmed Polad.
The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) said both journalists worked for the Istanbul-based Etkin News Agency (ETHA) and Ozgur TV.
A witness previously told Rudaw that Michelmann was detained after a standoff at a Kurdish youth center in Raqqa, where a group of journalists and activists had sought refuge as government forces advanced into the city.
The German foreign ministry said last week that it was making "intensive representations" on Michelmann's behalf and had been granted access to visit her in detention.
Syrian authorities did not publicly explain the legal basis for her detention or announce any charges against her.
Last week, Meister alleged to AFP that Michelmann had been "tortured and subjected to constant interrogation, including at night" during her detention and had "lost a lot of weight."
The CPJ condemned what it described as the Syrian government's lack of transparency regarding the detention and whereabouts of Michelmann and Polad, calling the situation "unacceptable."
It remains unclear whether Polad has also been released.
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