Journalist Austin Tice (43) was kidnapped near the capital Damascus in August 2012 and his family has since feared for the reporter’s life. Now a new video gives them hope.
After the fall of ruler Bashar al-Assad in Syria, American journalist Austin Tice, who was kidnapped more than ten years ago, is said to have been found alive. Local journalists published photos and videos of an exhausted and distracted-looking man with a beard and a hood, believed to be Tice.
A local guard discovered Tice in a village near Damascus, Syrian journalist Mohammed Rashid wrote to X. After twelve years in the Assad government’s prisons, a local resident took him in.
Journalist: “That is 100 percent not Austin Tice”
However, a journalist from the American television channel MSNBC wrote to X that the man told him his name was Travis. He did not give a surname. He crossed the border as a ‘pilgrim’ and was treated well during the seven months he spent in prison.
A journalist from the American television channel CNN wrote on X: “This is 100 percent not Austin Tice. I have no idea who it is, but it’s not Austin.”
Was man actually in Hungary before?
Al-Arabiya news channel reported that it was a previously missing man named Travis Pete Timmerman. Police in Hungary reported him missing in August, but provided no information on his citizenship. The 29-year-old was last seen in Budapest. According to some media reports, Timmerman is also a US citizen.
Biden hopes to return
There was initially no confirmation from the US government or Tice’s family. The family said about a week ago that they had good sources that the 43-year-old was still alive. “We believe he is still alive,” US President Joe Biden also said, saying a return to the US was possible.
Apparently in the hands of the regime
Tice was working as a freelance journalist in Syria when unknown people kidnapped him at a checkpoint in a suburb of the capital Damascus in August 2012. A few weeks later, according to his family, a video surfaced showing Austin with a group of armed people.
In 2022, the US government said it knew for certain “that he was being held by the Syrian regime.” The Syrian government rejected this at the time.
Source: Krone
I am Wallace Jones, an experienced journalist. I specialize in writing for the world section of Today Times Live. With over a decade of experience, I have developed an eye for detail when it comes to reporting on local and global stories. My passion lies in uncovering the truth through my investigative skills and creating thought-provoking content that resonates with readers worldwide.
