Missing US journalist’s mother visits Syria to renew search
Missing US journalist’s mother visits Syria to renew search
Debra Tice, the mother of US journalist Austin Tice, who was kidnapped in Syria during a reporting trip in 2012 and remains one of the longest-held American hostages, has returned to the country for the first time in ten years to continue the search for her son.
Her visit follows the recent fall of Bashar al-Assad’s regime after a swift rebel offensive last month. Austin Tice, now 43 and a freelance journalist, was abducted while traveling through the Damascus suburb of Darayya to cover the Syrian civil war.
“We had information, but the entire world changed,” she explained in an interview in Damascus, referring to the removal of Assad from power. “We have no idea where he is now. It’s like we’re back to square one, trying to figure it out.”
The last time Tice was seen was in a video released online shortly after his capture, blindfolded and appearing distressed. While no group or government has claimed responsibility for his abduction, US officials have long suspected that he was being held by the Assad regime.
Recent reports in the US suggest that Tice, a former Marine, may have briefly escaped shortly after his capture but was later recaptured by forces loyal to Assad.
Following the recent rebellion led by the Islamist group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) which toppled Assad’s regime, President Joe Biden affirmed that the US believes Tice is still alive, though his location remains unknown. The rebels, after seizing power, freed thousands of prisoners and allowed experts access to documents that might reveal information about Tice and others who have disappeared.
“I’ve never doubted… I always knew Austin would walk free,” Debra Tice said. “And now, we have a whole new perspective on how that might happen. I can’t wait to wrap my arms around him.”
On Sunday, Debra Tice – who said she wore a “Free Austin Tice” badge even at home – met Ahmed al-Sharaa, the Syrian de facto leader, who has vowed to hold accountable those responsible for the most serious crimes during the Assad regime.
She said she hoped the families would continue to have access to the facilities where prisoners were held “to allow people to search and keep hope”.
“I’m here to be with people that understand the longing, to be able to celebrate with people that are being reunited, and also hold the hearts of those of us that are still searching and waiting and wishing and hoping and praying.”
She had visited Syria for the last time in 2015 when the country’s authorities stopped issuing visas to her. Now, she said, “people are more relaxed” and “children have smiles on their faces”.
“I want to be one of the moms, one of the families that finds my loved one and throws my arms around him and takes them home,” she said.