Overview
- Kataib Hezbollah said Tuesday it released Kittleson on the condition she leave Iraq immediately, and Iraqi officials with direct knowledge said she was freed that afternoon.
- A senior Iraqi official told CNN the government received her and began processing her departure, while U.S. officials coordinated next steps and Secretary of State Marco Rubio said she is now free.
- The militia credited outgoing Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani for the outcome, and AP sources said talks involved a possible release of detained Kataib Hezbollah members, with the final terms still unclear.
- Kittleson, 49, was abducted March 31 on Baghdad’s Saadoun Street; Iraqi forces pursued the kidnappers, one car crashed near al-Haswa in Babil province, and at least one suspect was arrested.
- A video purporting to show her in captivity circulated from accounts close to the militia, though Reuters could not verify it, and press groups noted her case reflects the extra danger faced by freelancers working without institutional protection.