(NewsNation) — A close friend and former colleague of kidnapped American journalist Shelly Kittleson is urging her captors to release her, calling her one of the most knowledgeable and balanced reporters working in the Middle East — and one of the best he has ever known.
“You shouldn’t be afraid of a journalist that’s doing their job so properly, so attentively,” said Patrizio Nissirio, who worked alongside Kittleson at ANSA, the Italian national news agency, and has known her since 2011. “She would give voice to all sides of the matter.”
Iraqi officials have confirmed that Kittleson was kidnapped after she was forced into a waiting vehicle that sped away, an incident captured on surveillance video.
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Authorities believe she is currently being held in Baghdad and are working to locate her and secure her release. One suspect believed to be connected to the kidnapping plot has been arrested and is being interrogated, officials said.
American journalist Shelly Kittleson was kidnapped in Baghdad
No group has been officially confirmed as responsible, though authorities believe the abduction may be connected to a group with ties to Hezbollah.
Nissirio described Kittleson as a seasoned freelance journalist who had reported from Iraq, Afghanistan, Syria, Lebanon, and other conflict zones and spoke Arabic fluently. He said she maintained an extensive network of contacts ranging from military officials to government ministers.
Shelly Kittleson is an American journalist with more than a decade of experience reporting from the Middle East and Afghanistan. She has been published in multiple U.S. and international outlets and has worked as a journalist since 2011. (NewsNation)
American journalist Shelly Kittleson was kidnapped in Iraq on Tuesday. (Instagram/Shelly Kittleson and Courtesy)
American journalist Shelly Kittleson was kidnapped in Iraq on Tuesday. (X/Shelly Kittleson)
A damaged car is seen after a crash as security personnel and bystanders gather at the scene. Iraqi authorities said the vehicle was involved in the reported kidnapping of American journalist Shelly Kittleson crashed while fleeing security forces.
“She knows the Middle East like very few people I have known in my professional life,” Nissirio said. “She reports from places where almost no one else would go.”
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Kittleson was raised in rural Wisconsin but had spent most of her career abroad, with Damascus, Baghdad and Beirut serving as her base of operations for many years. Nissirio said her mother, Barb, last had email contact with her daughter on Monday and had urged her to come home.
Italian and international press groups are mobilizing for her release
He said Kittleson was fully aware of the risks that came with her work, but remained committed to it.
“She would always answer, ‘I think my job is worth something if I do it from that kind of place,’” Nissirio recalled. “We’re not talking about someone who was not aware of the dangers.”
Nissirio said journalist organizations in Italy and across Europe have begun mobilizing in response to the kidnapping, calling on governments to take action. Italy’s foreign ministry is also following the situation, he said, noting that Italian diplomatic efforts have at times proven effective in hostage negotiations.
His greatest fear, he said, is that Kittleson could be held for an extended period.
“She’s such a gentle soul and very careful towards others,” he said. “To target such a journalist — it’s really wrong.”
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