German journalist recounts five-month detention in Syria

German journalist Eva Maria Michelmann has recounted her five-month detention in Syria following her arrest in Raqqa on January 18, 2026. Michelmann, who reports for the Etkin News Agency, was detained alongside Kurdish-Turkish colleague Ahmed Polad while reporting during the advance of government forces into territory controlled by the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF).

Michelmann was released on June 19, but the current status of Ahmed Polad remains unknown. During her captivity, Michelmann reported being interrogated, accused of ties to Kurdish armed groups, denied legal counsel, and held in conditions where she witnessed signs of torture among other detainees.

The incident serves as a significant test for Syria’s transitional authorities, who previously pledged to uphold press freedom following the fall of the Bashar al-Assad government in 2024. Despite these pledges, journalists continue to face censorship, arbitrary detention, and enforced disappearances.

Omar Haj Ahmed, director general of press affairs at Syria’s Ministry of Information, disputed parts of Michelmann’s account. He claimed she was detained in Raqqa and transferred to Aleppo, rather than Idlib or Damascus, and alleged she lacked proper journalistic documentation and was identified as being affiliated with the SDF.