The mom of Austin Tice, the American journalist kidnapped in Syria in 2012, informed reporters Friday that her son is believed to be alive and is being “handled nicely,” with out offering additional particulars.
“Now we have from a major supply that has already been vetted throughout our authorities, Austin Tice is alive, Austin Tice is handled nicely,” Debra Tice, surrounded by members of the family, informed a information convention in Washington.
“We need to be very cautious about what we share. He’s being cared for and he’s nicely, we do know that,” she added.
Tice is a contract photojournalist who was working for Agence France-Presse, McClatchy Information, The Washington Publish, CBS and different information organizations when he was detained at a checkpoint in Daraya, a suburb of Damascus, on August 14, 2012.
Little info has been made public since his abduction. He appeared blindfolded in a video in September 2012, when he was 31, however the identification of the abductors stays unknown to this present day.
In 2022, US President Joe Biden accused Syria of holding Tice and known as on its authorities to assist safe his launch. Damascus denied it was holding any People captive, together with Tice.
Tice’s mom declined to say the place Tice may be held and added that “diplomacy” will assist win her son’s freedom.
“Phrases not bombs, phrases not weapons — that’s how Austin goes to come back dwelling,” she mentioned.
On Friday, White Home spokeswoman Karine Jean-Pierre declined to remark instantly on Debra Tice’s remarks, though she mentioned Nationwide Safety Advisor Jake Sullivan, who has “usually met with the households of wrongfully detained People,” had met with Tice’s household within the afternoon.
“I can not even think about what they are going by means of proper now as they consider Austin Tice, as they I am positive proceed to have hoped and prayed for Austin to come back dwelling to them,” she mentioned.
Again in 2020, then-US president Donald Trump had despatched Syria’s Bashar al-Assad a private message inquiring about Tice. Trump mentioned he didn’t know whether or not the journalist was nonetheless alive.
The household feedback come lower than two months earlier than the inauguration of Trump — on whom Tice’s kin are pinning substantial hope after his election — and at a time when Syrian rebels have launched a significant offensive, seizing dozens of key cities and cities.
After taking Aleppo, the most important metropolis in Syria’s north, the rebels are on the gates of Homs, some 150 kilometers (93 miles) from Damascus in a dramatic advance after 13 years of civil warfare.
