Swiss woman kidnapped in Niger freed after more than a year

After more than a year in captivity, Swiss national Claudia Abbt and Austrian Eva Gretzmacher have been freed and have arrived in Benghazi, in eastern Libya. The two women had been kidnapped separately in Niger. News of the release was reported by a local television network overnight between Wednesday and Thursday.

Switzerland's Federal Department of Foreign Affairs (FDFA) confirmed the release around midday on Thursday. According to the department, the release came through the mediation of Saddam Haftar, son of General Khalifa Haftar, who controls eastern Libya. The FDFA stated that the Swiss woman was "sulla strada per rientrare in patria" (on her way back home) and was in overall good health.

Claudia Abbt is 69 years old and was kidnapped in April 2025 in Agadez, Niger, by the Islamic State Sahel group. Eva Gretzmacher is 76. After their release, the two women appeared together in a video with Saddam Haftar.

Contacts maintained with Niamey

Abbt's case had been discussed repeatedly between Swiss authorities and those in Niamey, according to Swiss broadcaster RTS. Bern has maintained contacts with Niger even after the military coup that brought the military to power, unlike France, which cut them off.