German journalist Eva Maria Michelmann, who went missing earlier this year in Syria while reporting on the aftermath of the civil war, returned to Germany on Friday, her lawyer said. Roland Meister told AFP that she was released in the morning and arrived in Germany in the afternoon.

Her brother Antonius Michelmann later told dpa that they picked her up via Jordan and that she was doing well under the circumstances. He said she had been held in solitary confinement for an extended period but provided no further details.

Michelmann disappeared in January during an offensive by Syrian government forces against Kurdish fighters in the northeast. She worked for the Istanbul-based socialist Etkin News Agency (ETHA) and Ozgur TV channel, according to the Committee to Protect Journalists.

The whereabouts of her colleague, Turkish-Kurdish journalist Ahmed Polad, who vanished at the same time, remain unknown. The German Foreign Ministry said last week it was working at a high level to secure Michelmann's release.

It was not clear why the reporter was detained or if she faced any charges. The West has broadly welcomed the new Syrian government led by Ahmed al-Sharaa, but Kurds and other minorities have voiced concerns about the new Sunni regime.

Source: www.dw.com