The US government has once again urged the Syrian government to cooperate in the release of American journalist Austin Tice, who was abducted in Syria 12 years ago. Tice, who traveled to Syria as a freelance journalist in 2012 to report on the war, was detained at a checkpoint near Damascus on August 14, 2012.
President Joe Biden and Secretary of State Antony Blinken have both issued statements calling for Tice's immediate release. Despite the US government's repeated efforts to engage with Syria on this matter, the Syrian government has not publicly acknowledged Tice's detention.
Secretary Blinken emphasized the need for Syria to work with the United States to end Tice's captivity and provide information on other Americans who have gone missing in Syria. The US government has been actively pursuing various avenues to secure Tice's release, including direct engagements with the Syrian government.
Efforts to bring Tice home have been ongoing, with the Trump administration's Special Presidential Envoy for Hostage Affairs engaging in secret meetings with Assad regime officials in 2020. However, concrete details of the current administration's efforts have not been disclosed.
Tragically, earlier this year, the family of another American detained in Syria, Majd Kamalmaz, announced his death in captivity. Kamalmaz, a Texas psychotherapist, was detained in 2017 and never heard from again.
The US government remains committed to securing the release of Austin Tice and continues to call on the Syrian government to cooperate in bringing an end to his unjust detention.
