American journalist kidnapped by an Iran-backed militia released

Accessibility links Skip to main content Keyboard shortcuts for audio player Open Navigation Menu --> Newsletters NPR Shop Close Navigation Menu Home News Expand/collapse submenu for News National World Politics Business Health Science Climate Race Culture Expand/collapse submenu for Culture Books Movies Television Pop Culture Food Art & Design Performing Arts Life Kit Gaming Music Expand/collapse submenu for Music Tiny Desk New Music Friday All Songs Considered Music Features Live Sessions The Best Music of 2025 Podcasts & Shows Expand/collapse submenu for Podcasts & Shows Daily Morning Edition Weekend Edition Saturday Weekend Edition Sunday All Things Considered Up First Here & Now NPR Politics Podcast Featured Wait Wait...Don't Tell Me! Fresh Air Wild Card with Rachel Martin It's Been a Minute Planet Money Get NPR+ More Podcasts & Shows Search Newsletters NPR Shop Tiny Desk New Music Friday All Songs Considered Music Features Live Sessions The Best Music of 2025 About NPR Diversity Support Careers Press Ethics American journalist kidnapped by an Iran-backed militia released American journalist Shelly Kittleson has been released a week after she was kidnapped by an Iranian-backed Iraqi militant group. Middle East American journalist kidnapped by an Iran-backed militia released April 8, 20264:45 AM ET Heard on Morning Edition By Jane Arraf American journalist kidnapped by an Iran-backed militia released Listen &middot; 2:23 2:23 Transcript Toggle more options Download Embed Embed "> <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/nx-s1-5776696/nx-s1-9721015" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player"> Transcript American journalist Shelly Kittleson has been released a week after she was kidnapped by an Iranian-backed Iraqi militant group. Sponsor Message STEVE INSKEEP, HOST: An American journalist kidnapped in Baghdad last week is free. Shelly Kittleson is a freelance reporter. The U.S. State Department says an Iran-backed militia released her. NPR's Jane Arraf has this report. JANE ARRAF, BYLINE: Kittleson was abducted last Tuesday while standing on a street corner in Central Baghdad. Security camera footage shows a group of men pulling up in a car and shoving her into the back seat. The group that took her was Kataib Hezbollah, a powerful Iran-backed militia in Iraq, involved in attacks that have included the U.S. military and embassy. Iraqi security forces lost the car as it drove south into an area controlled by the militia, which has been hit hard by U.S. strikes since the Iran war began. The group said Kittleson's release was a gesture of appreciation to the Iraqi prime minister. It didn't give details, and the prime minister hasn't commented, but an Iraqi security source said last week the militia was demanding that several of its detained members be freed. He asked not to be identified because he wasn't authorized to speak publicly. The state department said last week it had warned Kittleson that she could be targeted. Kataib Hezbollah previously kidnapped Israeli Russian researcher Elizabeth Tsurkov from Baghdad. Like most Iran-backed groups, it wants the U.S. to leave Iraq. The Princeton student was freed after U.S. intervention, following more than two years in captivity. Kittleson, who's 49, has covered Iraq, Syria and Afghanistan since 2010. Her work has appeared in Foreign Policy, POLITICO, Al-Monitor, and an Italian newspaper, as well as the BBC. As a freelancer, she often worked in conflict zones without much money or support. In an interview on war reporting with Imperial War Museums in the U.K., she said this. (SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED RECORDING) SHELLY KITTLESON: Unfortunately, as a freelancer, I really can't afford a flak jacket a lot of times. I can borrow, I rent them if I can. ARRAF: Kittleson had been turned away by Iraqi border guards when she tried to enter from Turkey earlier in March. They told her as a foreign journalist, she was not allowed to cross. She was determined to get to Baghdad and ended up going by land to Iraq from Jordan. Jane Arraf, NPR News, Oman. (SOUNDBITE OF MUSIC) Copyright &copy; 2026 NPR. All rights reserved. Visit our website terms of use and permissions pages at www.npr.org for further information. Accuracy and availability of NPR transcripts may vary. Transcript text may be revised to correct errors or match updates to audio. Audio on npr.org may be edited after its original broadcast or publication. The authoritative record of NPR’s programming is the audio record.