• The U.S. State Department announced the release of American journalist Shelly Kittleson, marking a key diplomatic achievement. • The press statement highlights ongoing efforts to secure the freedom of detained U.S. citizens abroad amid heightened global tensions. • This development follows recent foreign policy shifts, potentially signaling improved negotiations with adversarial governments.
state.gov• Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ), Reporters Sans Frontières (RSF), and the James W. Foley Legacy Foundation called on the US government to officially designate journalist Shelly Kittleson as a hostage and deploy all resources for her release. • Kittleson, a US freelance reporter covering Yemen, was abducted in Sanaa on March 20, 2026, amid escalating Houthi-US tensions linked to the ongoing US-Israeli war on Iran. • The groups emphasized that formal hostage status would unlock specialized US diplomatic and intelligence efforts, critical amid reports of her deteriorating health in captivity.
cpj.orgState department says it is working to ensure release of freelancer ‘as soon as possible’ after abduction in BaghdadAn American journalist, Shelly Kittleson, has been kidnapped in Baghdad by a suspected Iranian-backed Iraqi armed group, the US said, as regional security deteriorates after the US-Israeli attack on Iran.Kittleson is a longtime freelancer in the region, reporting extensively from Syria, Iraq and Lebanon. Continue reading...
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