Syria confirms German journalist detained for illegal presence on its territory
The Ministry of Information has confirmed the detention of 36-year-old German journalist Eva Maria Michelmann, several months after she went missing in the north of the country, ending a series of conflicting reports about her fate since her disappearance at the beginning of the year.
The confirmation followed CPJ reports that Michelman was last seen on January 18, before being interrupted during military operations in Raqqa city.
The ministry told the Associated Press on Friday, May 1, that the Internal Security Forces found Michelman along with a Turkish citizen, identified by the press organizations as Turkish Kurdish correspondent Ahmed Bulad, during combing operations in the city of Raqqa. According to the statement, the two were found inside a building that was being used as a "security headquarters" by the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF).
The Ministry of Information confirmed that the detainees initially refused to reveal their true identities and did not carry any official documents proving their identity, explaining that during the initial interrogation, they claimed to work in the humanitarian field for the United Nations, without mentioning any journalistic role, which later turned out to be untrue, according to the Ministry of Information.
Suspicion and Legal Path
The ministry pointed out that the attempt of the detainees to flee after their interrogation led to their re-detention pending investigation, on suspicion that they were "foreign fighters" who were present on Syrian territory illegally.
At the end of its statement, the Ministry of Information confirmed that the journalist and her colleague are currently in official detention, as the necessary legal procedures have been initiated in preparation for referring them to the competent judicial authorities to decide on the charges against them, foremost of which is "the illegal presence inside Syrian territory."
Consular visit after diplomatic pressure
German diplomatic sources reported that a representative of the German embassy in Damascus was able to visit Michelman recently, after "intense political pressure exerted by Berlin over the past weeks," as she put it, stressing that the visit took place inside the place of detention and accompanied by Syrian security personnel, according to sources familiar with the meeting.
The Michelman's lawyer stated that her health condition was "poor" and that she had deteriorated significantly during her detention, noting that she had spent a long time in solitary confinement before being allowed any external contact, and the Syrian authorities have not yet issued any comment on her health status.
Her brother, Antonius Michelman, said in media statements that his sister was being subjected to what he described as "torture" in solitary confinement, while expressing "great relief" to confirm that she was still alive.
Antonios called for the immediate access of independent medical staff, lawyers and family members to her place of detention, in addition to her immediate release, considering that her continued detention in these circumstances is unacceptable.
Who is Eva Michelman?
Eva Maria Michelman is a journalist from Cologne, Germany, who was born in 1989, and has worked for several Kurdish media organizations, including the ETHA agency and the Özgür TV channel, according to the Verdi syndicate.
According to Deutsche Welle, Michelman arrived in northeastern Syria in 2022 as an international journalist, covering events in the region during the war, and in addition to her work as a journalist, Michelman worked as a social worker, covering women's rights and social issues, and was interested in the Kurdish cause.
She traveled to Kurdish areas for her interest in the development of the "Autonomous Administration", in particular "the struggle of Kurdish women for their rights", adding that hundreds of people are missing in addition to his sister, according to the German channel "NTV".