ERBIL, Kurdistan Region of Iraq – Iraq’s pro-Iran Kataib Hezbollah on Tuesday announced the release of American journalist Shelly Kittleson, a week after her kidnapping in Baghdad, “on the condition” that she leave Iraq “immediately”.

“In appreciation of the patriotic stances of the outgoing Prime Minister, we have decided to release the American defendant (Shelley Kittleson), on the condition that she leaves the country immediately,” read a statement from the group’s security chief Abu Mujahid al-Assaf

“This initiative will not be repeated in the future; we are in a state of war waged by the Zionist-American enemy against Islam, and in such cases, many considerations are disregarded,” the statement added.

Kittleson was kidnapped in central Baghdad last Tuesday evening.

During the abduction, a vehicle overturned in Babil province, leading to the suspects fleeing with Kittleson, who reportedly has sustained injuries. A suspect was left behind and arrested by Iraqi authorities, who was later identified by the US State Department as a member of Kataib Hezbollah.

Kittleson, an independent journalist who has reported extensively from Iraq and across the Middle East, was in the country to cover the effects of the ongoing US-Israel war against Iran.

Previously a staff editor at The New Region, she has featured in several international outlets, including Al Monitor, Foreign Policy, and The National. Her reporting has also included frontline coverage against the Islamic State (ISIS).

Kittleson has also reported on pro-Iran militias in Iraq.

Iraq remains a difficult environment for journalists. Reporters, particularly freelancers, face risks including harassment, detention, and abduction.

Kidnappings of journalists, activists, and dual nationals have occurred periodically in Iraq, often linked to militia activity.

In September, Israeli-Russian researcher Elizabeth Tsurkov was released over two years after she was kidnapped by Iraq’s pro-Iran faction Kataib Hezbollah. Her release was publicly welcomed by US President Donald Trump.