In brief
Swiss aid worker Eva Gretzmacher, 76, and Austrian community worker Claudia Abbt, 69, were freed after being held captive in Agadez for more than a year. The pair were allegedly taken by militants linked to the Islamic State, although no demands were publicly disclosed. Libyan officials confirmed the women were transferred to Benghazi, where they were released and handed over to their respective countries’ authorities. The incident highlights ongoing instability in Niger and Libya, where jihadist groups and political divisions continue to pose security risks.
After more than a year in captivity in the northern Nigerien city of Agadez, Swiss aid worker Eva Gretzmacher, 76, and Austrian community worker Claudia Abbt, 69, were released and handed over to authorities in Benghazi, Libya.
The pair were taken in January and April last year, reportedly by militants linked to the Islamic State, though no demands were publicly disclosed. Libyan officials said the women would be transferred to the appropriate diplomatic channels once necessary procedures were completed.
Video footage from Libya’s Al‑Masar TV shows the rescued women entering an ambulance and being attended by a health worker. They spoke in French, thanking military commander Khalifa Haftar and his son Saddam for their rescue.
Gretzmacher had lived for many years in Niger as an aid worker, while Abbt had worked as a community worker in Agadez. A flight from Benghazi to Vienna was expected to transfer Gretzmacher to Austrian authorities before the plane continued to Switzerland with Abbt.
The incident comes amid continued instability in Libya, divided between eastern forces led by Haftar and western rivals in Tripoli, and ongoing insecurity in Niger where jihadist groups linked to al‑Qaeda and the Islamic State perpetrate violence.
