Mother of detained journalist in Syria urges U.S. to negotiate release
DAMASCUS, Syria (North Press) – Mother of Austin Tice, an American journalist detained in Syria, urged on Friday President Joe Biden’s administration to negotiate with the Syrian government for the release of her son.
Debra Tice said that the latest attempts to engage in negotiations were in March 2023, but they did not result in a commitment and a desire to continue the dialogue to reach an agreement.
Austin Tice, a former U.S. Marine Corps officer and a freelancer journalist, was abducted in August 2012 while covering the anti-government protests in Damascus against Syrian President Bashar al-Assad.
The Syrian government has denied any knowledge of his whereabouts or involvement in his capture.
Tice added that the situation does not resemble what we see from the U.S. government and its determination to free the Israeli hostages held by Hamas.
Tice’s son, who was 31 years old at the time, appeared blindfolded in a video in September 2012, but no information has been received about him since then. No party has claimed responsibility for the kidnapping of Tice, whereas his family believes he is alive and still being held in Syria.
She pointed out that there are entities or other intermediaries expressing their willingness to engage in negotiations between the U.S. and Syria, but the Syrian government wants direct rapprochement with the U.S. government.
In 2022, President Joe Biden accused the Syrian government of detaining Tice and urged to assist in securing his release. However, the Syrian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates denied at that time holding any American citizen, including Tice.