Austrian hostage in Niger expected to be released today after two years
Eva Gretzmacher, a 74-year-old Austrian held by militants in Niger, is slated for release on Friday, according to the foreign ministry.
The Austrian cultural mediator Eva Gretzmacher, kidnapped in Niger, is expected to be freed on Friday following almost two years of captivity by a terrorist group. The foreign ministry described recent information as encouraging but stressed that the release and transfer procedures are still incomplete and hazardous. Reports suggest she is presently on Libyan territory and will be moved by helicopter to the border town of Sabha, after which a cargo aircraft will take her to Benghazi.
No specifics on the final handover to Austria have been disclosed. Her son has publicly urged increased political and diplomatic efforts to secure her freedom. The incident began when she was forcibly taken from her home in Agadez.
