Claudia Abbt and Eva Gretzmacher Freed After Captivity in Niger

What changed

Swiss national Claudia Abbt, 69, and Austrian national Eva Gretzmacher, 76, have been freed after more than a year in captivity in Niger and handed over to authorities in Benghazi, Libya.

The women were kidnapped separately in Agadez in January and April 2025. Switzerland said Abbt received medical care and was heading home; Austria attributed Gretzmacher’s release to “intensive diplomatic efforts.”

Why it matters

The release moved the case across three difficult jurisdictions: Niger, where the women were held; eastern Libya, where they were handed over; and their home countries, which are now responsible for getting them back safely.

That Benghazi became the transfer point is significant because Libya remains divided between rival administrations. The circumstances of the release, including who held the women and whether any demands were made, remain undisclosed. Earlier reports linked the kidnappings to Islamic State militants, but that connection has not been confirmed.

Both women had deep ties to Niger. Gretzmacher had lived there for years as an aid worker, while Abbt worked in Agadez as a community worker. Their long presence in the country makes the case more than a brief tourist kidnapping: it shows how exposure can persist even for people embedded in local communities.

Niger has been under military rule since 2023 and continues to face jihadist violence and kidnappings. For now, the clearest sign of progress is narrower but important: both governments have confirmed the women are free, while the details behind the transfer remain unknown.