American journalist kidnapped in Iraq is set free, must leave country 'immediately,’ her employer says
Shelly Kittleson, the American journalist who was kidnapped last week in Iraq, has been released, according to Al-Monitor, the Middle East publication where she works as a freelance contributor.
Viral surveillance footage appeared to show Kittleson being forced into a car by two men at a busy intersection in Baghdad last Tuesday. The State Department previously said an individual with ties to the Iranian-aligned militia group Kataib Hizballah was believed to be involved in Kittleson’s capture.
Kataib Hizballah issued a statement that Kittleson was set free in "appreciation of the patriotic positions" of Iraq’s prime minister, Mohammed Shia al-Sudani, who pushed for her release. The group said she would be set free "on the condition that she leaves the country immediately," according to Al-Monitor.
AMERICAN JOURNALIST KIDNAPPED IN IRAQ, EMPLOYER SAYS
"This initiative will not be repeated in the future… we are in a state of war waged by the Zionist-American enemy against Islam and in such situations many considerations are disregarded," Kataib Hizballah security commander Abu Mujahid Al-Asaf added, according to The New York Times.
A U.S. official confirmed her release to Fox News.
"There were U.S. efforts behind the scenes, I am told, to secure her release from Kataib Hezbollah," Fox News chief foreign correspondent Trey Yingst reported.
Former Pentagon official Alex Plitsas, a friend of the journalist who has called himself her designated U.S. point of contact, posted on X that he isn't ready to celebrate.
"We are still awaiting Shelley to be transferred to US officials. We welcome the news of her pending release but will save celebratory statements until she is transferred…. we will have more to say when she is in US hands," Plitsas wrote.
The State Department did not immediately respond to a request for comment by Fox News Digital.
The 49-year-old freelance journalist, an American citizen and Wisconsin native based in Rome, reported from war zones for years, spending time in Afghanistan and Syria before Iraq. She "often worked without formal assignments from editors and on a shoestring budget, taking shared taxis to lawless corners of Iraq where militia rule outweighs government control," the Associated Press reported after speaking to her friends, family and colleagues.
Recent headlines published by Kittleson include, "On eve of Iran’s Pezeshkian visit, Iraq jostles for Shiite space amid rivalries," "Iraqis protest proposed 'anti-women' amendment to personal status law" and "Honor killings in Iraq rekindle efforts to criminalize domestic violence."
"Hope she can return to do her job and tell the story of many who are not heard in region," Al-Monitor top editor Joyce Karam posted when reporting her release.
The Associated Press, citing "an Iraqi official with direct knowledge of the situation," reported that she was freed in exchange for "several members" of Kataib Hezbollah that had previously been detained by Iraqi authorities.
Reporters Without Borders released the following statement: "We are overjoyed by reports that Shelly Kittleson has been released by her captors in Iraq. Shelly's abduction underscored the very serious risks facing even the best-trained and experienced journalists. RSF is deeply grateful to all the parties involved from the American and Iraqi governments who were able to secure this positive outcome. RSF, the Committee to Protect Journalists, and the Foley Foundation wrote to Secretary of State Marco Rubio on April 3, urging him to do everything in his power to bring Shelly home. We are now waiting for reassurance that she is all right and that she will be able to reunite with her loved ones soon."
Before she was abducted, Kittleson told friends that U.S. officials had told her a militia group intended to target her, but she didn’t believe the threat was credible.
This is a developing story, more to come…
The Associated Press and Fox News chief foreign correspondent Trey Yingst contributed to this report.