Kurdish-Turkish journalist Ahmed Polad was arrested by Syrian authorities on January 18, 2026, alongside German journalist Eva Maria Michelmann, during the takeover of the northeastern city of Raqqa amid military operations against the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF.
CPJ first reported them missing, with Syrian authorities initially saying they had no information on whereabouts of the journalists.
The pair, 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 witnesses cited by ETHA.
In the weeks following their disappearance, there was no official acknowledgment of Polad’s detention. When reached for comment on March 10, Syrian Ministry of Information official Omar Haj Ahmed told CPJ the ministry had no information about the case, while Raqqa media director Morhaf al-Hussein said he was following up.
After months of uncertainty, on April 27, CPJ reported that Polad was believed to be held in a Syrian detention facility. According to Roland Meister, Michelmann’s lawyer, and Avin Ibrahim of the Free Media Union in northeast Syria, there was information indicating he may be detained in the northern city of Aleppo. A released Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) fighter reported sharing a cell with him, saying Polad had been injured, received medical treatment, and was last seen in stable condition.
On April 30, the Syrian Ministry of Information told CPJ that Michelmann and Polad were being held by the Interior Ministry, saying they were arrested during security sweeps of a building in Raqqa affiliated with the SDF after clashes in the area. The ministry said the two were identified as foreign nationals during the operation and alleged that Michelmann initially claimed to be a Spanish national working with a United Nations-affiliated organization, which was later denied after verification with the UN.
The ministry added that Michelmann did not have documentation showing she was on assignment and said both she and Polad attempted to escape while in custody.