American journalist Shelly Kittleson, who was kidnapped on March 31 in Baghdad, was released this Tuesday, an Iraqi leader with direct knowledge of the situation confirmed to the Associated Press news agency.
Kittleson was released this afternoon, eight days after her abductiondeclared the same source, who requested anonymity, having been held in Baghdad by the Iraqi militia Kataib Hezbollah, and released this Tuesday.
The militia itself also announced the release, “in appreciation of the patriotic positions of the outgoing prime minister”, Mohammed Shia al-Sudani, on condition that he leaves Iraqi soil immediately.
According to the Iraqi Government, which together with the United States pointed the finger at the militia that announced the release today, without confirming that it was responsible for the kidnapping, two cars were used in the incident.
Kittleson, 49, is a freelance journalist and has worked in the Middle East, particularly in Iraq and Syriain recent years, having been warned, according to the North American government, several times of this possibility.
The pro-Iranian militia Kataib Hezbollah is part of the FMP, a structure that operates under the Iraqi Government, but maintains strong links to Iran and is considered one of the most powerful militias in Iraq.
Iraq accounts for 10% of the 90 missing journalists around the world
Iraq is home to 10% of the 90 missing journalists around the world.
Before Kittleson’s kidnapping, two foreign journalists and seven Iraqis were missingall confirmed or suspected to have been kidnapped.
In 2023, the Russian-Israeli researcher Elizabeth Tsurkov was kidnapped from a Baghdad cafe and held captive by Kataib Hezbollah for 903 days, before being released following an agreement negotiated by the United States.
Kittleson’s kidnapping occurred in the context of the current war initiated by the United States and Israel against Iran, in which several pro-Iranian militias integrated into the Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF), such as Kataib Hezbollah, have attacked American military and diplomatic positions in Iraq with drones and rockets, while Washington responded with waves of bombings against the armed organization’s positions.
