Sonja N.*, a German nurse employed by the International Red Cross, was abducted by armed men in Somalia nearly seven years ago.

Recently, a video surfaced in which she implores the German government and her family to take action for her release, expressing concern over her deteriorating health.

The issue of abduction involving German nationals abroad is a significant and prolonged crisis, with hundreds estimated to have been kidnapped over the past decades.

However, precise current statistics on the number of individuals still being held captive are elusive.

The latest figures from 2019 indicate that 143 Germans were abducted in 37 countries between 2010 and 2019, with the majority of incidents reported in Nigeria, followed by Afghanistan, Mexico, Syria, and Senegal.

In cases of abduction, a crisis team is mobilized within the German Foreign Ministry to coordinate responses involving embassies, intelligence services, and intermediaries.

Jürgen Chrobog, who directed such a crisis team from 2003 to 2005, noted that establishing trust with intermediaries is crucial to determining the circumstances of the kidnapping and the demanded conditions for release.

Chrobog has personal experience with abduction, having been taken hostage himself in Yemen shortly after his retirement, a situation which was resolved relatively quickly.

Victims of foreign abductions vary widely, often encompassing nurses, priests, aid workers, dissidents, and tourists.

The Wallert family, a notable case from 2000, was kidnapped by the militant group Abu Sayyaf while on vacation in Malaysia.

Their abduction drew international attention as the militants allowed journalists access to cover the story from their jungle hideout.

Following their release months later, the Wallerts became prominent figures in Germany.

Hans-Joachim Lohre, a Roman Catholic clergyman abducted in Mali in November 2022, shared his experience of captivity and described his survival strategy during his nearly year-long ordeal.

He engaged in daily prayers and sought to communicate with his kidnappers about faith.

His release came after extensive negotiations, the details of which remain unclear; however, he noted the impact of local religious leaders praying for his freedom.

Notably, many kidnappers are non-state actors, often associated with ethnic or religious factions.

Nonetheless, state-perpetrated abductions also occur, as seen in the case of Jamshid Sharmahd, who was forcibly taken from Dubai to Iran, imprisoned, and ultimately executed in October 2024.

Conversely, Nahid Taghavi, a German-Iranian citizen, was released from Iranian custody in January 2025 after her daughter, Mariam Claren, advocated publicly for her release through their NGO, Hawar.

Claren emphasized the stark differences in approaches to diplomacy, noting that Germany's preference for quiet diplomacy stands in contrast to the more public strategies employed by countries like the United States and France.

The video appeal from the kidnapped German nurse has sparked emotional reactions and highlighted concerns about the awareness and governmental responses to such abductions.

Claren remarked on the impact of public mobilization to keep victims in the consciousness of both the public and authorities, affirming that such pressure is vital to ensuring that victims are not forgotten.