Eva Gretzmacher and Claudia Abbt released after nearly two years in captivity

Eva Gretzmacher and Claudia Abbt arrived in Benghazi, Libya, on Wednesday, October 21, following nearly two years in captivity. The humanitarian workers, an Austrian national and a Swiss national, were abducted separately in Agadez, Niger, in early 2025.

The Nigerien news agency Air Info reported their arrival in eastern Libya. A plane scheduled to depart Benghazi on Thursday, October 22, will stop in Vienna to deliver Gretzmacher to Austrian authorities before continuing to Switzerland with Abbt.

Gretzmacher was taken from her home in Agadez on January 11, 2025, and Abbt was kidnapped in the same city in April 2025. While various sources attribute the abductions to the Islamic State in the Sahel, the specific circumstances of their release remain undisclosed. Media reports suggest Saddam Haftar may have influenced their release, though his involvement has not been officially confirmed.