Austrian and Swiss women freed after 18 months held in Niger

Summarised from 2 outlets · Updated 22 Oct, 09:38 · Archive

An Austrian and a Swiss woman held captive in Niger for over a year have been freed and flown to Libya.

An Austrian woman and a Swiss woman held captive in Niger have been freed after more than a year in captivity and flown to the Libyan city of Benghazi. Eva Gretzmacher, 76, was kidnapped in Agadez, a northern Nigerien city, in January 2025. Claudia Abbt, 69, was abducted from the same city in April 2025. Both women had worked in Niger as aid and community workers.

No details have been given about who was holding them or what demands were made, although some reports have previously linked the kidnappings to Islamic State militants. The circumstances of their release were not disclosed. Libyan officials said the women would be handed over to authorities in their respective countries after necessary procedures. In a video released by Libya's al-Masar TV, the women appeared physically weakened and thanked Khalifa Haftar, military commander of eastern Libya, and his son, Saddam Haftar, for their release. Haftar reportedly oversaw the operation that freed them.

A plane was expected to leave Benghazi on Thursday, first stopping in Vienna to transfer Gretzmacher to Austrian authorities before continuing to Switzerland with Abbt, according to private news outlet Air Info Agadez.

How it is being reported

• Two European women held captive for more than a year in Niger freed in LibyaThe aid workers from Switzerland and Austria are due to fly home on Thursday, reports say.BBC World · 22 Oct, 09:21
• Austrian, Swiss women kidnapped in Niger are freed — reportAn Austrian woman and a Swiss woman kidnapped in Niger have been freed after 18 months in captivity, local reports say.DW News · 22 Oct, 03:54

In this story: Eva Gretzmacher · Claudia Abbt · Khalifa Haftar · Niger · Libya · Agadez · Benghazi

This summary was written by AI from the headlines and standfirsts above, and states as fact only what at least two outlets report. How we use AI · Report a problem