Syrian government refuses U.S. accusation of arresting Austin Tice
QAMISHLI, Syria (North Press) – The Syrian government refused on Thursday the accusation of the U.S. administration regarding the abduction journalist Austin Tice describing it as “baseless and represent a deliberate distortion of the facts.”
Syria’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates said in a statement that the statement released by the U.S. administration included “false accusations against the Syrian government of arresting American citizen Austin Tice, a former U.S. Marine.”
The ministry added that those accusations regarding Tice or other Americans are baseless, and represent a deliberate distortion of facts, and a continuation of this American administration’s approach of directing accusations against Syria.
On Aug. 14, U.S. President Joe Biden called for the immediate release of Austin Tice, a former U.S. Marine and a freelance journalist who was kidnapped in Syria in August 2012.
“We have repeatedly pressed the government of Syria to work with us so that we can, at last, bring Austin home,” Biden said in a statement marking 12 years since Tice’s abduction. “Today, I once again call for his immediate release.”
Austin Tice was abducted in August 2012 while covering anti-government protests in Damascus. The Syrian government has denied any knowledge of his whereabouts or involvement in his abduction.