ERBIL, Kurdistan Region of Iraq - A German journalist who was detained by Syrian state forces during Damascus' January offensive against Kurdish-administrated areas was released and returned to Germany on Friday, her lawyer confirmed, having previously claimed that she endured torture during her captivity.

"It can be confirmed that Eva M. Michelmann was released this morning and returned to Germany this afternoon," her lawyer, Roland Meister, told AFP.

Michelmann, 36, was last seen on January 18, when she and her Kurdish-Turkish colleague, Ahmed Polad, were detained by Syrian government forces amid clashes in Rojava's (northeast Syria) Raqqa province during a broader offensive against the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), according to the New York-based Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ).

The CPJ in April called on Damascus to “provide immediate and transparent information” on her detention after Syrian authorities acknowledged that Michelmann was in their custody. The organization said Damascus' “lack of transparency” regarding her detention “is unacceptable and raises serious concerns about press freedom in Syria.”

Her lawyer told AFP last week that he had received reports that Michelmann had been "tortured and subjected to constant interrogation, including at night" and had "lost a lot of weight."

Her brother, Antonius Michelmann, told the German news agency dpa on Friday that she returned to Germany via Jordan. He said she had been held in solitary confinement for an extended period but provided no further details, adding that she was doing well given the circumstances.

The German foreign ministry said in late April that it had gained direct access to Michelmann after “intensive efforts, including at the highest levels.” Last week, the ministry said German officials had been able to visit her in detention.

However, the ministry has not said why Michelmann was being detained or whether Syrian authorities had charged her with any crime.

In January, Damascus and its affiliated forces launched an offensive against Kurdish-held territory, seizing large areas before an agreement later that month halted hostilities and paved the way for the integration of the SDF and Kurdish institutions in Rojava into the Syrian state.

During the fighting, numerous violations against SDF forces and Kurdish civilians were attributed to Damascus-affiliated forces. The CPJ also censured Damascus over the detention of journalists, saying many reporters were prevented from covering developments on the ground and barred by military forces from entering large parts of the affected areas during clashes in Aleppo province earlier that month.