American freelance journalist Shelly Kittleson has been released after being kidnapped in Baghdad last week, according to two Iraqi officials with direct knowledge of the situation.
Kittleson, 49, was abducted from a street corner in the Iraqi capital on March 31. Her release came after the powerful Iran-backed militia Kataib Hezbollah announced it had decided to free her on the condition that she immediately leave Iraq.
The group said in a statement that the decision was made “in appreciation of the patriotic stances” of Iraq’s outgoing Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani, though it did not provide further details. The militia also indicated that the move was a one-time decision and warned that such initiatives would not be repeated in the future.
Two militia officials, speaking anonymously because they were not authorized to comment publicly, told The Associated Press that several Kataib Hezbollah members previously detained by Iraqi authorities would be released in exchange for Kittleson’s freedom.
Iraqi officials confirmed that Kittleson had been held in Baghdad prior to her release, but her exact whereabouts after being freed were not immediately disclosed.
The U.S. State Department did not immediately comment on the development. U.S. authorities typically wait until abducted citizens have safely reached government custody or left the country before confirming their release publicly.
In Mount Horeb, Wisconsin, Kittleson’s mother said she had not received confirmation of her daughter’s release. FBI agents were reportedly present at her home as officials worked to verify the situation.
Kittleson is a respected freelance journalist who has spent years reporting from conflict zones across the Middle East, including Iraq and Syria. She has lived abroad for much of her career, at one time using Rome as her base while covering regional developments.
Like many freelance reporters working independently, she often operated with limited resources and without the security support typically provided by large media organizations.
U.S. officials have previously said Kittleson had been warned about security threats in Iraq but chose to remain in the country to continue her reporting.
According to Iraqi authorities, two vehicles were involved in the kidnapping. One car reportedly crashed during a pursuit near the town of al-Haswa in Babil province, southwest of Baghdad, after which the journalist was transferred to another vehicle that escaped.
Negotiations for her release reportedly faced significant challenges. Iraqi security officials said communication with the leadership of Kataib Hezbollah proved difficult because many of the group’s senior commanders had gone into hiding.
The militia is part of the Popular Mobilization Forces, a coalition of mostly Iran-backed armed groups that are formally integrated into Iraq’s security structure but often operate with considerable autonomy.
Officials said Iraqi authorities had been willing to release six detained members of Kataib Hezbollah as part of negotiations. Several of those detainees were reportedly being held in connection with attacks on a U.S. military base in Syria.
Kataib Hezbollah has previously been accused of abducting foreigners in Iraq. In a similar case, Princeton University graduate student Elizabeth Tsurkov disappeared in Baghdad in 2023 and was later freed in September 2025 after being held by the same militia, according to her account.
Iran-backed militias in Iraq have also launched repeated attacks on U.S. facilities in the region since the outbreak of the U.S.-Israeli war involving Iran and its allies.