Swiss and Austrian Women Kidnapped in Niger Freed After More Than a Year

Two women held captive in Niger for more than a year have been freed and handed over to authorities in Benghazi, eastern Libya. They are Eva Gretzmacher, a 76-year-old Swiss aid worker, and Claudia Abbt, a 69-year-old Austrian community worker. Both were kidnapped separately in 2025 in Agadez, a desert town in northern Niger.