Director of a cultural centre: The kidnapping of an intrepid Germans in Iraq

The Disappearance of a German in Baghdad employed the German and Iraqi authorities. Hella Mewis, the founder of a well-known cultural institution, was abducted on Monday night by Unknown in the Iraqi capital. The backgrounds were initially unclear. The Iraqi security authorities came unconfirmed reports, according to which Mewis of Gunmen in two vehicles kidnapped. A spokesman for the interior Ministry merely stated that it had initiated an investigation, the authorities searched for the missing German.

Christoph Ehrhardt

a correspondent for the Arab countries, based in Beirut.

John Age

Political correspondent in Berlin.

The German foreign Minister Heiko Maas, who on Tuesday in Athens, said to be the case in Berlin, the crisis staff of the foreign office had been called together. As usual in such cases there would be with a view to the well-being of those Concerned, no official information about the Details of the case; but had been begun in the Federal foreign office in order "to find a solution that the affected Person and their welfare is secured".

Hella Mewis is loud irritated a lot of people matching Reports from Baghdad by their political and cultural commitment. She has used over the years for Iraqi artists. In 2015, she founded the cultural Institute of "Bait al-Tarkib" (house of the Installation), which promotes contemporary Iraqi art. PBS Mewis said in the spring of last year, the Iraqi government is nothing to do in this area; they shear not the young Generation. In the work of the Institute, the young Iraq offered artists a stage, it is significantly important to overcome the fear, to tread new paths.

Mewis stood up for the rights of women, it also supported the Iraqi protest movement, which is challenging since the autumn of last year, the corrupt political class. A few hours before she was abducted, I Mewis, activists visited the Tahrir square in the Iraqi capital, it said on Tuesday from their environment. She was undaunted and remained in Baghdad regularly with the Bicycle, which is a rather exotic sight.

"We don't know who is behind your abduction"

the Familiar of the German expressed on Tuesday "sad and stunned". "We don't know who is behind your abduction," said Ali Amer Almikdam who has worked for the "Bait al-Tarkib", also in the protest movement is active and, in the meantime, for safety reasons, lives in Erbil, the capital of the Kurdish Autonomous region in Northern Iraq.

As he suspected, many Iraqi observers, Iran-loyal Shi'ite militias are behind the action. Mewis’ Disappearance comes at a time of great inner tensions, the fear of these groups is on the rise. These are also presumed to be behind kidnappings of foreigners in the recent past. Shia militias have also abducted again and again, the activists of the protest movement and also murdered.