A Swiss woman and an Austrian woman who were kidnapped in Niger in 2025 have been released after spending more than a year in captivity, their respective governments have confirmed.
The women, identified as 69-year-old Swiss national Claudia Abbt and 76-year-old Austrian citizen Eva Gretzmacher, arrived in Benghazi, eastern Libya, following their release, according to local media reports.
Gretzmacher was abducted on January 11, 2025, while Abbt was kidnapped in April of the same year. Both women were living in Agadez, northern Niger, at the time of their abduction.
No group has publicly claimed responsibility for the kidnappings, while the circumstances surrounding their release have not been fully disclosed.
In a statement on Thursday, Switzerland’s Federal Department of Foreign Affairs confirmed Abbt’s release, saying she had been kidnapped in Niger on April 13, 2025.
The ministry said she was received in Benghazi by Swiss federal administration officials and given medical attention.
“She is doing well under the circumstances and is currently on her way back to Switzerland,” the statement added.
Meanwhile, Austria’s Foreign Minister, Beate Meinl-Reisinger, confirmed Gretzmacher’s release, saying an Austrian crisis response team had received her earlier on Thursday following intensive diplomatic efforts.
“We are all very relieved that Eva G. is free again after more than 21 months. This period has been an unimaginable ordeal for her and her family,” Meinl-Reisinger said.
She described the development as a special moment and said Austria had worked discreetly with regional, European and international partners for months to secure Gretzmacher’s freedom.
“These joint efforts have paid off,” she added.
Haftar’s Role In Release
Although no group has claimed responsibility for the abductions, some experts and Nigerien media reports have suggested that the Islamic State in the Sahel or affiliated groups could have been responsible.
The two women appeared in a video broadcast by Al-Masar, a television station based in eastern Libya. Looking tired, they confirmed their names, ages, nationalities and time in captivity while speaking in French.
They also thanked eastern Libyan military commander Khalifa Haftar and his son, Saddam Haftar, for helping secure their freedom.
A photograph of the women seated inside an aircraft was also circulated by several media outlets.
A Malian security source told Agence France-Presse that the women were transported by plane from Niger to Benghazi early on Wednesday.
The source said the women had spent some time in northern Mali, but credited the Libyan side, particularly the Haftar family, with playing a role in resolving the situation.
However, the precise circumstances of their release have not been officially disclosed.
Swiss Government Thanks Partners
Swiss Foreign Minister Ignazio Cassis expressed relief over Abbt’s release and thanked those involved in securing her freedom.
“I am relieved that the kidnapped Swiss woman is free again after more than a year and a half,” Cassis said.
He also commended the parties in Switzerland and abroad that worked to secure her release.
Following Abbt’s abduction, Switzerland’s foreign ministry established a task force involving police and intelligence resources to support efforts to bring her home.
The ministry expressed gratitude to national and international partners for their cooperation but said it would not provide further details to protect privacy.
Security Situation In Niger
The abductions occurred amid persistent insecurity in Niger and the wider Sahel region, where armed groups linked to Islamic State and al-Qaeda have carried out attacks and kidnappings.
Niger has faced worsening security challenges since a military coup in July 2023, when the junta ousted the country’s elected president.
Meanwhile, Libya remains politically divided following the 2011 uprising that toppled former leader Muammar Gaddafi.
Two rival administrations continue to compete for power: the internationally recognised government in Tripoli, led by Prime Minister Abdulhamid Dbeibah, and a rival administration in the east backed by Haftar.
The release of the two women marks the end of a prolonged period of captivity, although questions remain about their abductors and the arrangements that secured their freedom.