Travis Timmerman freed in Syria after Assad regime detained him for 7 months
An American man named Travis Timmerman was recently freed in Syria after being detained by the Bashar al-Assad regime for seven months. Timmerman claimed that he was on a Christian pilgrimage when he crossed into the country on foot from Lebanon.
A video of Timmerman emerged online after rebels seized Damascus and overthrew Assad. In the video, Timmerman appeared to be in good condition and was being well-treated by his captors. Initially, some viewers mistook Timmerman for Austin Tice, an American journalist and Marine veteran who went missing in Syria 12 years ago. Tice’s whereabouts are still unknown, but U.S. officials believe he is still alive.
Timmerman revealed in an interview with Al-Arabiya TV that he was detained after illegally crossing into Syria from Lebanon. Despite his detention, Timmerman mentioned that he was treated well by the guards, although he could hear other detainees being tortured daily.
The Biden administration has sent the U.S. government’s top hostage negotiator to Lebanon in an effort to gather information on Tice’s whereabouts. Tice was detained in Damascus in 2012 while reporting on the uprising against the Assad regime.
The State Department’s Reward for Justice program is offering a $10 million reward for information leading to the location of Austin Tice. Tice was last seen in a video shortly after his disappearance, where he was blindfolded and held by armed individuals.
The story of Timmerman’s release sheds light on the ongoing conflict in Syria and the plight of individuals like Tice who have gone missing in the region. It serves as a reminder of the dangers faced by journalists and travelers in war-torn countries like Syria.
