German journalist Eva Maria Michelmann was arrested by Syrian authorities on January 18, 2026, alongside Kurdish-Turkish journalist Ahmed Poladm, during the takeover of the northeastern city of Raqqa amid government 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.
Toni Michelmann, the German journalist’s brother, also said she was detained “by forces of the Syrian transitional government,” telling CPJ in March that “there has been no sign of life from her” since.
After months of uncertainty, on April 27, CPJ learned that Michelmann was being held in a detention facility in Damascus. According to her lawyer, Roland Meister, a German government representative visited her on April 23. A source from Germany’s Federal Foreign Office told CPJ: “following intensive and high-level efforts through various channels, we gained direct access to Ms. Michelmann last Thursday and will now continue to provide her with consular assistance.”
Authorities have reportedly initiated criminal proceedings against her, though the legal basis, charges, and responsible authority remain unclear.
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.
Arzu Demir, a journalist and member of ETHA’s editorial board who also produces a program for Özgür TV, told CPJ: “Maria had been sending news reports to our agency from Rojava for about four years. For security reasons, we published her reports anonymously.”