Austrian, Swiss women kidnapped in Niger are freed — report
Two European women, one Austrian and one Swiss, have been released after over a year of captivity in Niger and flown to Libya, according to multiple reports.
The Austrian national, identified as Eva G., and the Swiss national, identified by media outlets as Claudia Abbt, were both abducted in Niger in 2025. Eva G., in her 70s, was kidnapped in the desert town of Agadez in central Niger in January 2025, while Abbt, 69, was abducted in April of the same year.
Release Operation
According to Libyan media outlets, the two women were flown out to Libya's eastern city of Benghazi on Thursday. A video released by Libya's al-Masar TV showed the women appearing physically weakened after their captivity.
I had been held hostage for a year and nine months.
Both women thanked the deputy commander-in-chief of Libya's armed forces, Khalifa Haftar, and his son Saddam for securing their release. Haftar reportedly oversaw the operation that freed the women.
Regional Context
Libya and Niger share a border hundreds of miles long, cutting through the Sahara Desert. Libya has struggled to recover from the chaos following the 2011 NATO-backed uprising that toppled longtime ruler Moammar Gaddafi.
Currently, two governments are vying for power in Libya: a UN-recognized administration led by Prime Minister Abdulhamid Dbeibah and its rival in the east, backed by Haftar. Deutsche Welle has not yet independently verified the video showing the freed women.
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