Mother of American journalist detained in Syria confirms he is alive

Debra Tice, mother of US journalist Austin Tice who was kidnapped in Syria five years prior, holds a dated portrait of him during a news conference in the Lebanese capital Beirut on July 20, 2017.
Debra Tice, mother of US journalist Austin Tice who was kidnapped in Syria five years prior, holds a dated portrait of him during a news conference in the Lebanese capital Beirut on July 20, 2017.

DAMASCUS, Syria (North Press) – Debra Tice, the mother of American journalist Austin Tice, who has been detained in Syria since 2012, reaffirmed on Friday that her son is still alive.

During a press conference, Debra Tice said, “He is being cared for and he is well – we do know that,” expressing her optimism for her son’s release, emphasizing the importance of diplomacy over violence.

She added that Austin will be freed through diplomacy—through words, not bombs, through words, not weapons.

U.S. President Joe Biden previously declared in 2022 that Washington is confident Austin Tice is being held by the Syrian government, urging his immediate release.

Austin Tice, a freelance journalist was abducted in August 2012 while covering the Syrian war in the town of Darayya on the outskirts of Damascus.

By Abdulsalam Khoja