Libya Recovers Swiss, Austrian Women Kidnapped Since 2025 In Niger

Libya Recovers Swiss, Austrian Women Kidnapped Since 2025 in Niger Two European women from Austria and Switzerland who were abducted in Niger in 2025 have been freed after spending more than 18 months in captivity and have arrived in the eastern Libyan city of Benghazi. The women, identified as Austrian aid worker Eva Gretzmacher and Swiss national Claudia Abbt, were released and transferred to Libya, according to officials and media reports on Wednesday. Their release was subsequently confirmed by the Austrian and Swiss governments on Thursday, October 22, 2026. Gretzmacher was abducted from her home in Agadez, northern Niger, on January 11, 2025, while Abbt was kidnapped in the same city in April that year. Both women had lived in Niger for several years before their abductions. Austrian Foreign Minister Beate Meinl-Reisinger expressed relief over Gretzmacher’s release, describing the period of captivity as an unimaginable ordeal for the aid worker and her family. She said Austria had worked closely with Switzerland and other regional and international partners to secure the women’s freedom through diplomatic efforts. The Swiss Foreign Ministry also confirmed Abbt’s release, saying she was received by Swiss officials in Benghazi and had been given medical care. The ministry added that she was doing well under the circumstances and was on her way back to Switzerland. The women’s arrival in Benghazi was reported by officials who spoke on condition of anonymity. They said the two would be handed over to authorities from their respective countries after the necessary procedures were completed. Reports by regional media indicated that Saddam Haftar, son of eastern Libyan military commander Khalifa Haftar, may have played a role in securing their release. However, the precise circumstances of the operation have not been officially disclosed. The release marks the end of a prolonged period of uncertainty for the women’s families and the governments involved in efforts to bring them home. The abductions occurred in Agadez, a desert city in northern Niger that has experienced security challenges linked to criminal networks and armed groups operating across the Sahel. Niger has battled a prolonged insurgency involving militants affiliated with al-Qaeda and the Islamic State. Security conditions have deteriorated since the military seized power in July 2023, raising concerns about the authorities’ ability to contain violence and kidnappings. No group has been officially confirmed as responsible for abducting the two women, and details of their captivity and the negotiations that led to their release remain unclear. Their freedom follows months of diplomatic efforts by Austria and Switzerland, which maintained contact over the cases while seeking a safe outcome.